Congress Takes Fight Against Withdrawal of Gandhis' SPG Cover to Delhi's Streets

New Delhi: Congress youth-wing members on Wednesday burnt the effigy of Home Minister Amit Shah to protest the withdrawal of SPG security cover of party president Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka. The protesters had given a call to gherao Parliament but police barricaded the approach roads.

Police officials, carrying teargas ammunition, announced through loudspeakers that Section 144 had been imposed in the area near Shastri Bhavan in view of the ongoing winter session of Parliament and strict action would be taken against the protesters.

The warning didn't deter the protesters who climbed the barricades to breach the security cordon. Police detained a number of protesters who broke through the barricades and forced them into a bus.

The protesters raised anti-BJP and anti-government slogans and caned the effigies they carried.

The Centre earlier this month replaced the Special Protection Group (SPG) cover of the family of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, assassinated by LTTE terrorists on May 21, 1991, with the 'Z-plus' security of the Central Reserve Police Force.

The Gandhis are now without SPG protection after 28 years. They were included in the VVIP security list following an amendment in September, 1991 in the SPG Act of 1988.