Martyr PM's son who walked for national unity can never insult country: Cong's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
New Delhi (PTI): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday said a martyred prime minister's son who walked thousands of kilometres for national unity can never insult the country as the Congress held a nationwide protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.
Priyanka Gandhi was addressing the 'Sankalp Satyagraha' at Rajghat -- the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi -- here to protest against Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
She said the time had come to raise a voice against an "arrogant government" as barring Rahul Gandhi from contesting elections does not bode well for the country and its democracy.
The Congress has launched a day-long satyagraha at all states and district headquarters to protest against Gandhi's conviction in a 2019 defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after a court in Gujarat's Surat convicted him in the defamation case. The disqualification will prevent Gandhi (52), a four-time MP, from contesting elections for eight years unless a higher court stays the conviction.
The Congress leader alleged that Rahul Gandhi was disqualified for questioning the prime minister on industrialist Gautam Adani and people will give a befitting reply to those behind the action.
"My family's blood has nurtured democracy in this country. We are ready to do anything for this country's democracy. Great leaders of the Congress laid the foundation of democracy in this country. If they think they can scare us, they are wrong. We will not be scared.
"Time has come and we are not the ones who will remain silent anymore," she told the outside Rajghat.
Asking if a martyred prime minister's son can insult the country, Priyanka Gandhi said, "This is an insult to that prime minister who gave his life."
"You have called a martyr's son anti-national, Mir Jafar, insulted his mother in Parliament. The prime minister in Parliament asks why this family does not use the 'Nehru' surname. You insult the entire family and the tradition of Kashmiri Pandits.
"But there is no case against you. You don't get a case or a two-year term and no one disqualifies you. Why?" she asked.
Priyanka Gandhi said till today, they have been insulting "our family and we remained silent but not any more".
"How much will you insult one person?" she said and asked if Lord Ram, who was sent into exile, was a "parivaarwadi".
The Congress leader, who alleged that the country's wealth was being looted and given to one person, said this wealth belongs to the people and no one can take it away.
"When arrogant dictators are unable to answer the questions raised, they try to suppress those who ask the questions.
"This entire Cabinet, government and MPs are trying to save one person and are not holding an inquiry. Who is this Adani in whose support everyone comes the moment his name crops up?" she asked.
Questioning if this was the "mother of democracy", she asked why people are still unemployed if the economy is doing so well.
Noting that lakhs of people joined Rahul Gandhi on his Bharat Jodo Yatra when he walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Priyanka Gandhi said, "When a person who walks from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to unite the country, can this person insult the country?"
Coming out in support of her brother, she asserted that Rahul Gandhi wants the poor, youth and the women to get their rights and what belongs to them should go into their hands and not to someone who is a big man and the prime minister's "friend".
She said Rahul Gandhi studied at Harvard and Cambridge -- the best universities in the world -- but still they call him a "Pappu".
"When they came to know that he is not Pappu and lakhs of people are walking with him, they got disturbed over the questions he raised in Parliament to which they don't have answers. They have to do all this to stop just one person.
"This country's prime minister is a coward. Take me to jail but the truth is this country's prime minister is a coward. He is hiding behind his power and (he) is arrogant. But this country's tradition is that people reply to an arrogant king. This country recognises an arrogant king. This country knows the truth," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi also urged the media to understand their responsibility as "democracy is in danger".
"If the one who questions is barred from contesting elections for eight years, it is not right for the country or its democracy. Time has come -- daro mat (don't be afraid)'.
"Time has come to face them and unite and ensure the unity of the country and take it forward," she asserted amid cheers from the Congress rank and file.
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Crime scene recreated in rape-murder case of IRS officer's daughter; potency test conducted
New Delhi (PTI): Crime scene recreation was carried out by investigators on Saturday at the southeast Delhi residence where the 22-year-old daughter of a senior IRS officer was allegedly raped and murdered on April 22, police sources said.
The investigators are working to piece together the exact sequence of events and have conducted a detailed mapping of the crime scene.
They are also collecting "minute-to-minute" information regarding the accused, starting from Alwar, where he allegedly committed a rape, to the Delhi crime, the police sources said.
An iPhone stolen from the victim in Delhi has been recovered from a park, while a potency test of the accused has been conducted as part of the rape investigation, they said.
"Crime and forensic teams recreated the sequence of events inside the house for over two hours to establish how the crime unfolded. Every single minute detail has been recreated," the source said.
Access to the house was cordoned off, with a heavy police presence in and around the premises during the exercise.
The 22-year-old woman, an engineering graduate and UPSC aspirant, was fatally attacked at her residence in southeast Delhi's Kailash Hills locality on Wednesday morning.
Rahul Meena, who had been a domestic help at the residence but was fired over financial misconduct, used his familiarity with the house layout and access points to enter the flat.
Citing the investigation, sources said Meena was addicted to online betting and card games such as "teen patti" and had lost over Rs 7 lakh in the last few months, which drove him to frequently borrow money to sustain the habit.
He had been spending his money on prostitution and used to watch porn videos on his mobile phone, besides gambling, they said.
He allegedly went to the rooftop study room where the woman was studying, attacked her with a heavy object, raped her and dragged her downstairs to use her fingers to open a biometric locker and steal cash.
The autopsy confirmed strangulation as the cause of death and found multiple injuries, including a nasal bone fracture, indicating a struggle.
"He fled after changing clothes and slippers, and reached Palam Railway Station to catch a train to Rewari in Haryana. When he failed to catch the train, he booked a hotel in Dwarka, from where he was arrested. More than Rs 1 lakh in cash and stolen jewellery were recovered from his possession," a police officer said.
As part of the probe, the police took the accused to Palam railway station, where he had first gone after the crime, and will also take him to the Dwarka hotel where he stayed briefly before being arrested, sources said.
Investigations have also revealed that Meena was known for aggressive behaviour in his native village in Rajasthan and
"During the inquiry, we came to know that Meena and his father were known in their village for their aggressive behaviour. Our team is there. They are told that his father is an alcoholic and Meena is addicted to online games," a police source said.
Sources said a detailed psychological assessment of the accused will be carried out to evaluate his mental state and behavioural patterns, noting that he has exhibited psychopathic tendencies and a history of violent conduct.
He returned to his native village after being sacked and told his parents that he had left the job, the police source said.
"He never told his parents that he was sacked," the source said.
A senior police officer who interrogated Meena told PTI that he is remorseless and told investigators that the murder "just happened" in a fit of rage.
He told the police, "Agar didi paise de deti to aisa nahi hota" (if didi (the victim) had given the money, this would not have happened), the officer said.
"Chori karne ka afsos nahi par marna nahi chaiye tha, ho gaya (I don't regret committing the theft, but I shouldn't have killed her. It just happened)," Meena told interrogators, according to the officer.
The sources said the accused displayed a strangely calm demeanour after his arrest. "During questioning, he was quite casual. He acted as if everything was normal. Usually, when a person commits a heinous murder, they would display some anxiety, anger, restlessness or remorse. Meena was very casual," said a source.
He said the accused did not react much and only repeated that he wanted money to clear his debts. "We asked him if he regrets what he has done. Meena replied that the family was like god to him, but he wanted money," the source said.
The psychological analysis of the accused will involve clinical evaluation by experts to assess aggression levels, emotional responses and personality traits, including indicators linked to disorders such as anti-social personality disorder, sources said.
Investigators are probing whether the crime was premeditated, with officials saying Meena's psychological profiling will help understand his mental state and reconstruct events.
Meanwhile, family members of the accused are now being questioned as part of the investigation to gather further information about his background and movements prior to the crime.
The police said the accused's custody will end on Monday, and he will be produced again before the court.
"We will request the court to extend his police remand by four days as we need to collect minute-to-minute details of the accused, starting from Alwar crime to Delhi crime," a police source said.
The accused had raped a friend's wife in Rajgarh before heading to Delhi, according to investigators.
