Walking in the blistering summer heat and raising slogans of solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, Congress members defied police restrictions as they joined their party leader when he headed to the Enforcement Directorate office for questioning in the National Herald case on Monday.
Several workers were detained in the morning when they were on their way to join the 'Satyagraha march' called by the opposition party, but scores of others gathered at the party headquarters here by 9 am, holding the national and party flags.
Slogans of 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Rahul tum sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hain (Rahul you fight, we are with you)' rent the air as Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other prominent leaders of the Congress reached the party office.
The protesters waved placards that read: 'Satyamev Jayate' (Truth Alone Triumphs) and "Will not fear, will not bow, will fight for truth anyhow', as the procession comprising senior leaders, party functionaries and grassroots-level workers moved from the AICC headquarters towards the ED office nearly two kilometres away.
A worker was seen walking barefoot as his slippers broke. "Blisters have appeared on my feet. But the march must continue as Rahul Gandhi is our favourite leader," he said.
A small cage that had a poster with ED and CBI written on it was put at the party office in a symbolic protest by the party which has accused the Centre of misusing agencies to target opponents.
"We have tried to show that the ED and CBI are inside BJP's cage. The agencies are no longer autonomous. They have become parrots of BJP," said a worker.
The Congress, which has claimed that the charges against its leaders in the case are baseless and has accused the Modi government of political vendetta, dubbed the march as a start of Mahatma Gandhi's 'Satyagraha' (peaceful resistance).
The ruling BJP, however, criticised the Congress, accusing it of celebrating corruption.
The opposition party's march made it through two points of barricading but was stopped at the third point, where several prominent leaders, as well as workers, were detained and taken away in police vans and buses.
Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, who shared a picture on Twitter after being taken away by the police, alleged that "thousands" of party workers have been arrested and compared the Modi government to the British imperialists.
Due to the barricading, Rahul Gandhi had to take a detour to reach the probe agency's office and sat in his car for the last few minutes of his 15-minute journey as a sea of people surrounded his vehicle.
While the streets around the headquarters and ED office were heavily barricaded, chaotic scenes erupted as defiant Congress workers refused to move back despite police's numerous warnings.
Prominent among those detained were Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, K C Venugopal and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
A worker climbed atop a bus in which detainees were being taken away and raised slogans. The police eventually brought him down.
Congress leader Vamshi Chand Reddy also shared a picture of Rajya Sabha MP Venugopal, who was allegedly manhandled by the police during detention.
"This man @kcvenugopalmp is just recovering from Covid but look at his fighting spirit. Got arrested and standing strong with @RahulGandhi, the man fighting for the "idea of India"," Reddy tweeted.
The party also shared pictures of Priyanka Gandhi meeting the detained leaders at a police station.
The ED will record the statement of the Lok Sabha member from Wayanad in Kerala under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper.
National Herald is published by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.
The Gandhis are expected to be grilled about the incorporation of a Young Indian company, the operations of the National Herald and the fund transfer within the news media establishment.
