Delhi Police use water cannons to disperse protesting Cong workers

New Delhi, July 21 (IANS) Hundreds of Congress workers were staging protests at different locations in the national capital over their party's interim President Sonia Gandhi being summoned by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday.

Outside the party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road, the Delhi Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters who were trying to cross the barricades placed by the police.

Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram said his party is protesting the ED summons to Sonia Gandhi. "The AJL-Young India transaction is recorded in the books of account, the returns filed by the two companies and in the Income Tax returns. All that the ED wants to know can be found in the records," he said.

He further said the Income Tax case is pending before SC. "ED is not higher than the SC. What is that the ED wants to 'investigate' that will not be examined by the SC? ED is overreaching the SC and trying to intimidate the Congress party. The Congress party will not bow down to the intimidation," Chidambaram said.

The Congress party workers were seen pushing the barricades.

Meanwhile, as a preventive action, the police detained several party leaders including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Union Minister P. Chidambaram, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Sachin Pilot, Ajay Maken, Deependra Hooda, IYC president B. Srinivas among several others.

The party leaders alleged that the police were not allowing them to even protest against the government and are continuously harassing them.

The detained party leaders were taken to Utsav Sadan in Kingsway Camp police lines.