Youth Congress protests outside Giriraj Singh’s house

Protesters alleged that while they were sitting peacefully outside the minister’s residence, police lathicharged them, injuring several. Police detained 20 members who were later released.

Over 300 members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) gathered outside Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s residence at VP House on Thursday, in protest against the minister’s comments on Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Protesters alleged that while they were sitting peacefully outside the minister’s residence, police lathicharged them, injuring several. Police detained 20 members who were later released.

Singh — who is the Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium enterprises — on Wednesday had remarked whether the Congress would have accepted Sonia Gandhi’s leadership “had she not been white-skinned”.

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IYC national president Amrinder Singh told Newsline, “The lathicharge was absolutely unprovoked. We were protesting peacefully and even then our volunteers were brutally beaten up by the Delhi Police.” Singh said IYC general secretary Harshwardhan suffered multiple injuries during the lathicharge.

Meanwhile a senior police officer said the protesters arrived without intimation and began raising slogans outside the minister’s residence. According to police, the protesters refused to budge from the spot after which police resorted to lathicharge.