'Happy to take many more': Rahul Gandhi on being 'punched' during Lok Kalyan Marg protest
Calling it an honour to stand with the people, the Congress leader said, couple of punches was not a problem at all. “It's okay, I am used to it,” Gandhi said during a pres conference on Wednesday.
Calling it an honour to stand with the people, the Congress leader said, couple of punches was not a problem at all. “It's okay, I am used to it,” Gandhi said during a pres conference on Wednesday.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said on 22 July the alleged punches by police personnel during his Tuesday's protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence would not weaken his resolve.
Calling it an honour to stand with the people, the Congress leader said, couple of punches was not a problem at all.
“Not a problem, I am used to it…,” Gandhi said during a press conference on Wednesday. The Rae Bareli MP was responding to a question on police action during the protest on Tuesday.
“These are not big costs. It’s a huge honour for me to be able to stand with the wishes of my people. Couple of punches is not a problem at all. I am happy to take many more,” he said.
Gandhi, his sister and fellow Lok Sabh MP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party's (SP) Akhilesh Yadav, were forcibly removed by police on Tuesday after they staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence here, demanding his resignation.
The surprise sit-in in the high-security zone sent the government into a tizzy, prompting it to rush Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh, along with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, to persuade the opposition leaders to vacate the sensitive site.
Soon after Singh left the protest site, police forcibly removed and detained Gandhi and other leaders in the evening. As police swooped down on the site, Gandhi was seen lying on the ground and resisting as the security personnel tried to pick him up. The Congress leader was hurt in the process.
Later, Gandhi shared pictures on X of police removing him from the protest site and said, “Modiji, try every pressure, exert all your might -- this fight for justice for students will not stop now.”
Gandhi, along with other Congress leaders, including the chief ministers of Karnataka and Kerala and several MPs, launched the sit-in around 3:30 pm against Monday's police action on protesting students.
The unprecedented scenes unfolded soon after Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi met the injured students at a hospital here.
Rahul Steps Up Attack on Govt
Gandhi on Wednesday stepped up his attack on the Union government, extending support to students protesting under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Gandhi said Congress supported students and demanded resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against policemen who 'assaulted' protesters during the CJP march in Delhi on Monday and an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to students.
It's a huge honour for me to be able to stand with the wishes of my people. A couple of punches is not a problem at all. I am happy to take many more.
“The question is why is this happening to our students. What exactly have our students done? They have security forces aiming weapons at them. What have they done wrong?” Gandhi said during a press conference on Wednesday.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.
Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.
Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.
Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.
Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
Source: Livemint — Politics
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