Delhi police drew charges of highhandedness as they displayed unusual alacrity in preventing Congress supporters from joining a march to protest the misuse of central agencies, prompting suggestions that the Union home ministry was directly handling “the operation”.

The Delhi police’s zeal on Monday contrasted sharply with the time the force had taken to lodge an FIR against the then BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, waiting for over 10 days and until West Asia erupted in anger at her derogatory comments against Prophet Mohammed.

Responding to charges that K.C. Venugopal, an AICC general secretary considered close to Rahul Gandhi, was manhandled on Monday, a Delhi police officer said in private that there were clear instructions from the top brass to pre-empt the show of strength by the Congress on a day Rahul was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case.

“This is why we started rounding up Congress leaders and workers since morning as soon as they assembled at different locations in central Delhi,” he said.

The action, the officer said, was monitored by senior officials at the Union home ministry. Delhi police report to the home ministry, now headed by Amit Shah.

In a video that emerged later in the day, Venugopal, 59, was seen being physically picked up by a cop and hauled towards a waiting bus.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress’s leader in the Lok Sabha, later wrote to Delhi police alleging manhandling by personnel while party leaders were on their way to the ED office.

The police had begun rounding up Congress workers and leaders long before the scheduled 10am start of the protest march.

At several places, policemen were seen detaining Congress workers and forcibly taking them into buses.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted around noon saying he and other senior leaders had been made to board a Delhi police bus while they were on their way to the ED office near India Gate, and were being taken to another end of the city.

“What is wrong with holding a peaceful protest march against the misuse of central agencies by the government?” he asked.

Besides the Delhi police, a large contingent each from the Rapid Action Force and the CRPF were deployed near Janpath Road and in the vicinity of the ED office.

The Delhi police had on Sunday night refused permission for the protest march. On Monday morning, Congress leaders alleged the police had barricaded all entry points to the Congress headquarters, preventing people from entering or leaving.

Congress leaders had planned to assemble at the party office and accompany Rahul to the ED office in a solidarity march.

“Congress leaders and workers are being stopped from reaching the party headquarters,” Bhupesh Baghel, Chhattisgarh chief minister, said.

“The entire area has been cordoned off and large contingents of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed everywhere in an attempt to crush democracy. It is the democratic right of the Opposition to hold a protest but the Centre is using its all might to crush the Opposition.”

A Delhi police officer said Section 144 had been imposed in the area around the Congress headquarters. “Strict action was taken against those who violated it,” he added.