Rahul Gandhi leads protest at CBI office, courts arrest

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday led a nation-wide Opposition protest against the Modi government's decision to send CBI Director Alok Verma on leave, and courted arrested at a police station near the CBI Headquarters here.

Hundreds of Congress workers took out a protest march to the CBI Headquarters waving placards and raising slogans against  Modi and linking the action against the CBI Director with the imminent investigation into the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Adding colour to the protest was a huge cage with a party worker seated inside holding a placard painted “CBI”, while others carried large cutouts of the Rafale aircraft alleging that the Prime Minister “personally handed over” the offset contract to “his friend Anil Ambani.”

In Delhi, Rahul was joined by CPI leader D Raja, Trinamool leader Nadim-ul Haque and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav. Congress workers held similar protests in front of the regional offices of CBI across the country.

#WATCH: Congress workers stage protest against the removal of CBI Chief Alok Verma in #Delhi. pic.twitter.com/BRk8Vvwvgv

— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2018

“The Congress party will not allow the chowkidar to rob the nation,” Rahul said in his brief address to the protestors from atop a mini-bus stationed at the barricades near the CBI Headquarters.

After hour-long protest at the CBI Headquarters, Rahul and other Congress leaders drove to the Lodhi Colony Police Station in a police van before their arrest.

Rahul, accompanied by senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot, Bhuvaneshwar Kalita, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, were inside the police station while Congress workers raised anti-government slogans outside.

“During the demonstration, a total of 130 persons were detained and brought to the Lodhi Colony police station. After 30 minutes, all of them were released,” Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South District) told reporters.

Join us today at 11 AM as we march from Dayal Singh College on Lodhi Road to the CBI HQ, to protest the PM’s disgraceful & unconstitutional attempt to block an investigation into the Rafale scam by removing the CBI Chief. Similar protests are being held today, across India.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 26, 2018

#Delhi: Security tightened and barricading outside CBI headquarters ahead of Congress protest against the removal of CBI Director Alok Verma pic.twitter.com/GQRv1xC4ot

— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2018

Reinstate Verma

AICC General Secretary Ashok Gehlot said that the Congress wanted Verma to be reinstated as the CBI Director.

Rahul said the midnight removal of the CBI chief was a “disgraceful and unconstitutional attempt” by the Prime Minister to block an investigation into the Rafale fighter jet deal.

Reiterating his allegations against the prime minister on the Rafale fighter jet deal, the Congress President mocked at him calling Modi a “chowkidar” who had “deposited Rs 30,000 crore in Anil Ambani's pocket”.

“He has stolen money from the Air Force and the youth, and the entire country knows this. The prime minister can run but he cannot hide from the truth,” he told reporters after courting arrest.