The Congress’ sit-in at Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station on Friday to demand the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) saw the Gandhi siblings adopting two polar-opposite, but ultimately cohesive, strategies. his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra chose the diplomatic route, playing the role of mediator While Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi took an aggressive approach.
At noon on Friday, Rahul Gandhi, Lochab, the teen’s mother, and their lawyer reached the Connaught Place Police Station to press for the FIR. They were asked to speak to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), whose office is at the Parliament Street Police Station. The Congress MP insisted on it, however, and also showed the DCP the medical report from the hospital where the teenager had been treated. remaining the public face of the Congress’ demand, Priyanka and Lochab’s lawyer presented medical and other documents, trying to convince the police officials that sufficient grounds exitsed for the FIR to be registered While Rahul Gandhi continued the sit-in outside. The BJP, however, accused the party of attempting to spread anarchy and disrespecting the laws of the country. A day after the police action, she was part of the march from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s house to the Prime Minister’s residence, where the party also staged a sit-in before she and other leaders were detained by the police.
Sahil Lochab, 19, had suffered pellet-gun injuries during the July 20 march to Parliament during the protests against NEET and other paper leaks led by the Cockroach Janata Party. Around 7 pm, nearly seven hours after the demonstration began, the case was finally filed, and the Congress claimed victory, saying it had bolstered its claim of fighting for students’ rights. Congress leaders said Priyanka Gandhi has been playing a similar support role for a while now, and has stepped it up since the students were lathicharged on July 20.
Gandhi met the officer with Lochab and his mother and made his demand clear, but was told that the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court – which has constituted a committee to probe the police action and violence during the protests – and an FIR could not be registered at this stage.
