Reporter's Diary: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi's Yin-And-Yang Approach To Pellet Gun FIR

The Congress' sit-in at Delhi's Parliament Street Police Station on Friday to demand the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) saw the Gandhi siblings adopting two polar-opposite, but ultimately cohesive, strategies. While Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi took an aggressive approach, his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra chose the diplomatic route, playing the role of mediator.

Sahil Lochab, 19, had suffered pellet-gun injuries during the July 20 march to Parliament during the protests against NEET and other paper leaks led by the Cockroach Janata Party. At noon on Friday, Rahul Gandhi, Lochab, the teen's mother, and their lawyer reached the Connaught Place Police Station to press for the FIR. They were asked to speak to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), whose office is at the Parliament Street Police Station.

READ | FIR Filed In Pellet Gun Case After Rahul Gandhi's Sit-In At Police Station

Gandhi met the officer with Lochab and his mother and made his demand clear, but was told that the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court - which has constituted a committee to probe the police action and violence during the protests - and an FIR could not be registered at this stage. The Congress MP insisted on it, however, and also showed the DCP the medical report from the hospital where the teenager had been treated.

When Gandhi emerged with Lochab and his mother, an impromptu decision was made to stage a sit-in and refuse to move until the case was registered. This message was conveyed to all party leaders, and several senior figures, such as Salman Khurshid, Kumari Selja and Mukul Wasnik, arrived to join the demonstration.

Priyanka Gandhi also joined her brother and the other demonstrators soon after. She initially took part in the sit-in but then began discussing the broader legal strategy with leaders such as Randeep Surjewala and Salman Khurshid, both of whom are lawyers. The MP went inside and spoke to several senior police officials, laying the groundwork for a consensus.

While Rahul Gandhi continued the sit-in outside, remaining the public face of the Congress' demand, Priyanka and Lochab's lawyer presented medical and other documents, trying to convince the police officials that sufficient grounds exitsed for the FIR to be registered.

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Around 7 pm, nearly seven hours after the demonstration began, the case was finally filed, and the Congress claimed victory, saying it had bolstered its claim of fighting for students' rights. The BJP, however, accused the party of attempting to spread anarchy and disrespecting the laws of the country.

Played Similar Role Earlier Too

Congress leaders said Priyanka Gandhi has been playing a similar support role for a while now, and has stepped it up since the students were lathicharged on July 20. A day after the police action, she was part of the march from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's house to the Prime Minister's residence, where the party also staged a sit-in before she and other leaders were detained by the police.