Dramatic scenes unfolded at Delhi's Mandir Marg police station on Tuesday as Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, detained during a dharna outside the Election Commission's (EC) office, continued their protest and refused to leave the premises despite being released, according to Delhi Police.
Police stated that they had released the 10 TMC leaders, including MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, on Monday night, but they chose to remain at the police station through the night and persist with their dharna.
An attempt by an AAP delegation led by Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and TMC MP Sagarika Ghose to meet the detained TMC leaders was thwarted on Tuesday morning.
DCP Devesh Kumar Mahla of Delhi Police mentioned that the detained TMC leaders were released at 6 pm on Monday but were unwilling to vacate the police station premises, emphasizing that the station should not be used for political purposes.
In response, TMC MP Dola Sen contested the police's account, alleging that initially, the detained leaders were being taken to Jaffarpur Police Station on the outskirts of Delhi. After protesting, they were brought to Mandir Marg station, she claimed, adding that they were asked to leave at 12.30 am, not 6 pm as stated by the police.
Earlier in the day, AAP accused Delhi Police of preventing their delegation from meeting the detained TMC leaders. Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj asserted that the Centre sought to silence the Opposition in the Lok Sabha elections.
The 10-member TMC delegation had initiated a 24-hour dharna outside the Election Commission's office on Monday, demanding a change in the leadership of key investigative agencies. They were later detained by Delhi Police and forcibly removed from the site, with visuals showing some leaders being dragged onto a bus.
Meanwhile, the TMC dispatched a letter to the Bengal Governor, alleging that its leaders were illegally detained and obstructed by Delhi Police from exercising their right to protest. The letter also highlighted the ECI's inaction on multiple complaints lodged by the party.
