As Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the third consecutive day of questioning in the alleged National Herald money laundering case Wednesday, many Congress leaders and activists again held protests against the BJP-ruled Centre and the ED for “implicating” him in the case. During the day, the Congress released a video clip of party MP from Tamil Nadu’s Karur, Jothi Mani, in which she charged that she was assaulted by the Delhi Police personnel who, she alleged, also tore her clothes. She spoke to The Indian Express on the incident. Excerpts:

The Congress today put out your video clip. What really happened?

The women MPs and office-bearers of our party, including me, were peacefully marching out of our AICC headquarters today. We are women party workers. We were exercising our democratic right to protest. The Delhi police behaved with us brutally. Some paramilitary personnel were also there. They dragged me and others. They used brutal force. Around ten people carried me and threw me and others into a bus. We protested. Some 60-70 police personnel were there. They refused to give us water for an hour. We tried to buy water but they threatened the waterwallah and sent him out. Whether it is a woman MP or a woman or an MP of any political party, this is not the way to behave.This is not the democracy that we want.

It was alleged that your clothes were torn?

The cops tore my clothes. They did the same yesterday too. This is unacceptable. What are we protesting for? You are calling our leader (Rahul) without any basis. Even a small child understands the PMLA Act…you need a scheduled offence. Some investigative agency has to file an FIR. The Congress has been asking for the last three days as to what is the scheduled offence. Which agency has filed a complaint and in which police station? Where is the FIR? Please show us the copy of the FIR. At least give it to him (Rahul). So without any basis you abuse the law, you use the ED as your lap dog..despite that my leader is going and appearing before the ED as a law-abiding citizen. His mother (Sonia Gandhi) is in the hospital. She is not well. A son cannot go and see her and take care of her. Is this the way to behave? They barged into our party office today.

The Congress has released that video too.

Leave the Congress, any political party is a lifeline of democracy. You cannot enter a party office like that. My office is my dignity, my party’s dignity. How can they break into our office like that?

Where were you taken after being detained by the police?

They took us to Narela Outer police station.

Are you still in the station?

I have just reached home. We fought with them (police) as they said they will leave us only at 11 pm. We told them that after 6 pm you cannot keep women in detention. We will leave…if you want you can keep us by using force.

Do you plan to write to the Lok Sabha Speaker over the incident?

Our leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has already taken it up with the Lok Sabha Speaker. We are thinking of filing a complaint tomorrow. Our Rajya Sabha MP Jebi Mather and I were assaulted by the cops yesterday too. We will not get cowed down by this kind of repression. We are Congress people. We have a history of having fought the brutal force of the British. We showed our chest to their bullets. This is not a question of Rahul Gandhi, me or the Congress party. This bulldozer raj can do anything to anyone. They can tomorrow barge into any media house or the residence of any Opposition leader too. So this fight is to protect the democracy of this country. This is not for the Congress or Rahul ji. We will fight till this government is removed from power. This action against Rahul Gandhi is based on a private complaint. Tomorrow, I can also file a complaint against anyone from the BJP or the relatives of any senior BJP leader or minister. Thy are doing all this because the Congress is going to undertake a Bharat Yatra. Rahul Gandhi is going to lead that yatra. Then there are reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “pressured” Sri Lanka to give a power plant to Adani. They want to divert attention from all these issues.

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Manoj C.GManoj C G is a Deputy Associate Editor. He writes on politics. He has ... read more