Congress stages sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar, to meet President to demand Agnipath scheme rollback

Congress MPs and leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Salman Khurshid, K Suresh, V Narayanasamy, sat on a 'Satyagraha' at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to protest Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons to party MP Rahul Gandhi and raising voices against recently launched Central government's military recruitment scheme Agnipath.

Congress leaders and supporters criticised the BJP-led central government and said that the Agnipath scheme is not beneficial for the youths of the country and also jeopardises national security.

AICC General Secretary Ajay Maken on Monday morning said that at 5 pm today, the Congress workers will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and demand that the Agnipath scheme be withdrawn.

Congress demanded that the scheme should be withdrawn and should first be discussed in Parliament.

"The (Agnipath) scheme should first be discussed with youth and in Parliament, but before that, it should be withdrawn," Maken said.

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He also said that the party workers will also inform the President "how the Congress MP was harassed and how ED is being misused."

Maken claimed that Congress MP S Jothimani was allegedly beaten up by Delhi Police during the protest against ED probe on Rahul Gandhi in National Herald Case.

Heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces was seen at Jantar Mantar.

Meanwhile, security has been increased at Man Singh Road ahead of Congress' protest against ED summons to Rahul Gandhi as well as in wake of Bharat Bandh against Agnipath Scheme.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to appear before ED today for questioning in connection with National Herald case.

Addressing a press conference on Monday morning, Maken claimed that out of ED's 5,422 current active cases, 5,310 cases were filed during the last eight years of the Modi government.

Criticising the Delhi Police for the attacks on Congress workers last week, Maken claimed: "I don't know if any party has been attacked the way the Congress headquarters was attacked. Rahul Gandhi has been questioned for more than 30 hours. This is just to silence the party and him - because we represent the voices of labourers, farmers and the downtrodden."

"Only 112 of the Enforcement Directorate's active cases were filed before the Modi government came to power. You can see the sort of pressure they're trying to create," the AICC general secretary claimed.

Rahul Gandhi has appeared before the ED on Monday for questioning in connection with the money laundering related to the National Herald case. He was questioned last week for three consecutive days.

The case pertains to the allegations of misappropriation of funds by the party-backed Young Indians Private Limited's takeover of the Associated Journals Ltd that publishes the National Herald newspaper.

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