Rahul Gandhi courts arrest amid Congress protest, says ‘Modi is corrupt’

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader and Congress President, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday courted arrest along with top party leaders during a massive protest in New Delhi against the government’s move to send country’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief Alok Verma on leave.

Mr Gandhi and his colleagues later went to a police station as hundreds of Congress workers demonstrated outside. He left the police station after some time, according to TOI.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deceived the nation. He can run away from the truth, but he cannot hide it. People of this country have realised what PM has done. Changing the CBI director will not work,” he said.

The Congress has slammed the government for what it says is the “illegal, unconstitutional and illegitimate removal of the CBI director”. The government has sent Mr Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana on forced leave after both accused each other of taking bribe from the same businessman.

Walking in the front, Rahul Gandhi led hundreds of people who shouted slogans and carried placards and posters that criticised the government. A man holding a white sheet of paper with “CBI” written on it was seen inside a cage, alluding to the CBI being a caged parrot.

Mr Gandhi then got on to a truck in front of police barricades near the CBI headquarters in the CGO complex to prevent the protestors from reaching the building.

The protest marches are being organised outside the CBI offices across the country. In some places, police used water canon to rein in the protestors, the Indian media reports said.

Mr Gandhi has said the midnight removal of CBI chief Alok Verma was a “disgraceful and unconstitutional attempt” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to block an investigation into the Rafale fighter jet deal.

“Why was M Nageswar Rao appointed as CBI director in a hurry? All parties should protest against this along with Congress party,” AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the CBI has become “BBI”, short for “BJP bureau of investigation”.