New Delhi: The Delhi Police have denied permission to hold 'Sankalp Satyagraha' organised by Congress to protest against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha. Many leaders including K C Venugopal tweeted the letter from police, citing the same.
In the letter, the Delhi Police said the request was rejected due to law and order and traffic reasons and prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC imposed in and around Rajghat.
Regardless, the party launched the event after the police granted a verbal permission, said senior leader K C Venugopal.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, P Chidambaram and Salman Khurshid were among the party's top brass taking part in the satyagraha at Rajghat.
Jairam Ramesh, Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Saktisinh Gohil, Jothimani, Pratibha Singh and Manish Chatrath were also present at the protest site.
Several leaders of the party's Delhi also took part in the protest while a large number of party workers gathered outside the venue despite the police refusing to grant permission for the satyagraha.
The Congress has put up a stage outside Rajghat and are protesting against Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
It has announced plans for a day-long satyagraha in front of Mahatma Gandhi statues at all states and district headquarters to protest against the disqualification.
Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in a 2019 defamation case. The disqualification will prevent Gandhi (52), a four-time MP, from contesting elections for eight years unless a higher court stays the conviction.
(With PTI inputs)