New Delhi: The Delhi Police detained several BJP leaders, including Members of Parliament, during a protest march towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence in the national capital on Saturday.
Union Minister of State Raksha Khadse, BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Kamaljeet Sehrawat were among those detained, according to ANI. Other leaders and party workers also joined the protest.
As per a PTI report, BJP MPs Hema Malini, Bansuri Swaraj, Manju Sharma and Vatsalya Gupta took part in the demonstration. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, BJP state president Virendra Sachdeva and MP Manoj Tiwari were also present along with party workers.
Protest turns tense
Visuals from the protest site showed BJP women leaders burning an effigy of Rahul Gandhi. The situation turned tense as workers gathered near his residence.
Police deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd, especially women workers who were leading the protest. Security was tightened in the area to prevent escalation.
Gandhi not present
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was not present at his residence during the protest. He was attending a poll rally in Tamil Nadu at the time.
Backdrop of bill defeat
The protest comes a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha. The bill was part of a broader delimitation package.
A total of 298 members supported the bill, while 230 voted against it. However, it fell short of the required two thirds majority.
The Congress has said it does not oppose women’s reservation but objected to linking it with delimitation. The proposed changes include increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to 815 seats, which the Opposition claims could reduce the representation of southern states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the nation at 8:30 pm on Saturday. He is likely to speak on the bill’s defeat and respond to the Opposition’s stand.