Allegations of forcibly entering Congress HQ, beating up workers 'false': Delhi Police officer

New Delhi, Jun 15 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Wednesday rejected as "totally false" the allegations that its personnel forcibly entered the Congress headquarters and beat up party workers and leaders on a day the party staged protests against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate.

The Delhi Police said despite its suggestion to hold the protest at Jantar Mantar, Congress leaders with "utter disregard of Supreme Court guidelines" tried to create public disturbances in the area.

"The allegations are totally false and we denied them strongly," a senior police officer said. The party, however, shared purported video clips on social media showing police personnel entering its office premises.

The police officer said, "We tried to stop them and tried to close the gate of AICC (All India Congress Committee) in order to prevent a procession from being taken out. "In this process, their might be some scrimmage, but police had not tried to enter the premises of the AICC and they had no reason to enter." The Congress staged vociferous protests in the capital on the third day of Rahul Gandhi's questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

The police officer said, "They (Congress workers and leaders) were not listening to the police. We had been telling them for the past three days that no procession is allowed. We had been giving them the chance to hold their protest at the designated place at Jantar Mantar.

"Adequate force has been put in place. The senior police officers are also present at the spot. We told the senior leaders that we will facilitate them, but they were bringing other people also in the form of procession and we stopped them and told them that the procession is not allowed, the officer added.

A police statement said for the past three days, senior leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) have been repeatedly informed that any kind of procession and protest is allowed only at designated areas as per the Supreme Court guidelines.

"Despite the suggestions of the Delhi Police to have the protest at Jantar Mantar, the INC leaders with utter disregard of the Supreme Court guidelines and our suggestions have again and again tried to create public disturbances in the area.

"Today again some workers of INC had tried to take out procession from party office and were prevented by police personnel present there from assembling unauthorisedly. Some of the miscreants burnt tyres and damaged police barricades which led to traffic congestion and inconvenience to the commuters," it said.

"The police tried to prevent the situation from deteriorating while maintaining utmost restraint,” the statement stated.

The Congress has demanded that an FIR for "criminal trespass" be registered, the erring police personnel be suspended and disciplinary action initiated against them.

"In an act of absolute goondaism perpetuated by the Delhi Police at the instance of the Modi government, the police today forcibly entered the national headquarters of the Congress here and beat up party workers and leaders. This is patently criminal trespass. The goondaism of Delhi Police and Modi government has reached its zenith," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters.

He said the party's state units would stage silent protests on Wednesday evening and would gherao Raj Bhawans across the country Thursday morning against the police action.

Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED on Wednesday for the third consecutive day of questioning in the National Herald money laundering case.