Shimla, February 25 – At least 20 Delhi police personnel were detained by the Himachal Pradesh Police on Wednesday for arresting three leaders of the Youth Congress from the town of Rohru, in the Shimla district.
The arrests were made in connection with a protest staged by the Youth Congress leaders at the AI summit in New Delhi.
A Delhi Police team reached Rohru, arrested the leaders, and was en route back to Delhi when they were stopped near the town of Dharampur in the Solan district by the state police, who then detained them.
The police personnel and the arrested leaders were subsequently taken to Shimla and are scheduled to appear in court. Superintendent of Police Tirumalaraju SD Varma told the media that they received information about the arrests and set up checkpoints near Dharampur at the request of the Shimla police.
The arrest of the police personnel was carried out by the Shimla police. Congress lawmaker Kuldeep has demanded that the state government take stern action against the Delhi Police.
He described the police action against the Youth Congress leaders as an attempt to suppress their voices.
"Raiding premises without a warrant is a clear violation of privacy," Rathore said in a press statement.
He urged the state government to take legal action against the Delhi Police.
Rathore also criticised the Central Government, stating that the country does not belong to a single party.
"In a democracy, governments come and go, but the opposition's duty is to raise the people's voice," he said.
He alleged that the Centre is trying to suppress the voices of young people by making a huge issue out of the Youth Congress's shirtless protest during the AI summit.