'Thought Delhi Was Safe': Congress MP Sudha R To NDTV After Gold Chain Snatched

Congress MP Sudha Ramakrishnan's gold chain was snatched in Delhi's diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri while she was out on a morning walk on Monday. Speaking to NDTV, Ms Ramakrishnan said she thought the area, which houses several embassies and official residences of state governments, was "very safe".

"Today, what happened to me was highly shocking. I went on a walk around 6 am in a highly secured area. A lot of embassies are on the way. I went for a walk as I thought it was a very safe place," Ms Ramakrishnan, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Tamil Nadu's Mayiladuthurai and is in Delhi for Parliament's Monsoon Session, said.

She said the person who snatched her chain was coming from the opposite direction.

"I was thinking why he's coming and tried to give him space to move. Then he snatched my chain and tore my clothes," she added.

Ms Ramakrishnan said she kept shouting, "Please, please help me help me help me," but no one helped.

"A few people were also walking. But they were Delhi people and were afraid to help because they know that crime keeps happening every minute here," she said.

"This will not happen in Tamil Nadu," she said, adding that the "double engine is a failure," referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in Delhi.

Asked if she has a message for the government, she said they should "ensure the safety and security of the women" of the country.

"Everybody has a right to live life peacefully and safely," the Congress leader said.

Earlier in the day, Ms Ramakrishnan also wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who oversees law and order in Delhi, flagging the incident.

"Sir, this blatant attack on a woman, who is a Member of the Parliament, in a high-security zone like Chanakyapuri, which is full of embassies and protected institutions, is highly shocking to say the least," she said.

"If a woman cannot walk safely in this high-priority zone in the national capital of India, where else can we feel safe and do our routine without fearing for our limbs, lives and valuables," she said.

She said she suffered an injury to her neck and lost her gold chain weighing more than 4 sovereigns.

"I am highly traumatised by this criminal attack," she added.

She requested Mr Shah to direct the authorities concerned to ensure that the "culprit is tracked down".

"Kindly ensure my gold chain is restored and justice rendered to me expeditiously," she said.

The police have so far not made any arrests in the case.