Delhi Congress protests over lifting of SPG cover of Gandhi family

New Delhi : Delhi Congress leaders and workers held a protest march at the Jantar Mantar here on Friday and slammed the Modi government for the withdrawal of the SPG security cover of the Gandhi family.

The protesters tried to march towards the Parliament House but were stopped by police. The Centre had earlier this month withdrawn the SPG protection given to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after almost three decades.

"The decision by the Modi government to remove the SPG security cover to the Congress leaders is a political conspiracy," alleged Delhi Congress president Subhash Chopra. The protesters carrying placards and raising slogans against the Modi government were detained as they tried to topple a police barricade to march forward. They were released later.

The protesters included a large number of senior Delhi Congress leaders, including former presidents Jai Prakash Agarwal, Arvinder Singh Lovely, former parliamentarians Parvez Hashmi, Ramesh Kumar, Mahabal Mishra, Jagdish Tytler and Krishna Tirath, Delhi Mahila Congress president Sharmistha Mukherjee, and working presidents Haroon Yusuf, Devender Yadav and Rajesh Lilothia.

"Gandhis are a family which lost two members, both Prime Ministers," Chopra said alleging "conspiracy" behind the withdrawal of their SPG security cover. He demanded the government to restore SPG security to the Gandhi family and former prime minister Manmohan Singh.