Police surround the Congress building and demand that the planned protest on August 5 be abandoned.
Enforcement Directorate temporarily closes holding company Young Indian's offices at the National Herald newspaper's headquarters.
On Wednesday afternoon, Delhi police ordered the Congress to abandon its plans for a demonstration over price hikes on August 5 and surrounded the party's offices and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's official residences.
In connection with a money-laundering inquiry, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also temporarily sealed the holding company Young Indian's offices at the headquarters of the Congress-owned National Herald newspaper, according to official sources.
A large police deployment with entire road barricading was made around 4pm outside the party office at 24 Akbar Road, Sonia's home at 10 Janpath, and Rahul's home at 12 Tughlaq Lane, shortly after the Delhi police letter was sent to the Congress.
This, along with the Young Indian office being sealed, led to rumors that Congress leaders may be detained.
At 7 o'clock in the evening, the Congress called a press conference to denounce the police action and to demand the removal of the substantial deployment.
Around 500 police and paramilitary troops, according to an AICC official, had surrounded the party's offices and Sonia's home.
The functionary remarked, "But they are already leaving; there probably is a change of plan.
On the days that they had demonstrated in the streets against the interrogation of Sonia and Rahul by the ED in the National Herald case, the police had refused to let Congress leaders and members leave the party headquarters. Even party MPs couldn't march from the House of Representatives to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Such limitations on political activity are uncommon. In Delhi right now, political marches and demonstrations are all but forbidden.
"This (the police operation) was meant to intimidate us. This is intimidation politics. The Union home ministry is carrying out this, according to Congress communications director Jairam Ramesh, who was speaking at the press conference.
But this kind of bullying is unacceptable. We are not frightened by these strategies. Woh darte hain, jo dhamki dete hain (Those who threaten are themselves afraid). Those who wish to instill fear are also terrified. We will continue to protest against the rising cost of living, unemployment, and the application of the GST on basic food supplies.
A deputy commissioner of police wrote to us today informing us that we cannot participate in any protests on August 5, according to Congress general secretary Ajay Maken. They then set our offices under siege.
"On August 5, a gherao of the Prime Minister's mansion, beginning from the AICC office, was the plan. It was anticipated that the MPs would march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan. In the states, demonstrations had to happen at all the Raj Bhavans. But this government resorted to threatening us, to creating panic.”
Maken continued, "They want to control the narrative to prevent topics like price increases and unemployment from taking centre stage in the public debate. They attempted to give the appearance that the Congress was engaged in conflict over another matter (the National Herald investigation).
"They want hype and diversion to deceive the populace. But the price increase and unemployment are our problems. We will carry out our agitation strategy despite any pressure or intimidation they attempt to put on us. We shall not submit to this oppressive tyranny.
At the briefing, Abhishek Singhvi, who was in attendance, said: "Barricades, platoons outside political party offices and the homes of our leaders. You cannot enter or exit. Is it a democracy?
"This is meant to degrade, offend, and terrify. The worst kind of petty politics is this. They are unaware that the Congress leadership's lexicon does not contain the term "fear." They are alarmed by the fact that we continue to reject their oppressive politics. We'll keep doing that.
According to sources, the Young Indian temporary seal was placed in place to "preserve the evidence" that could not be gathered during Tuesday's raids since authorized representatives were not there.
They continued, "The remainder of the National Herald office is available for use." Young Indian is the holding company for Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL), which publishes the daily. In the name of AJL, The National Herald is registered.
The Young Indian office cannot be opened "without prior permission" from the central agency, according to the notice affixed with the investigating officer from the ED's signature.
The principal officer-in-charge of the Young Indian office was emailed by the ED team, according to officials, asking for permission to conduct searches on the property. A response was still waiting.
