'Is it because of my stand on Adani?': Rahul replies to Delhi Police notice over 'sexual assault' remark

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi submitted a preliminary reply to Delhi police on Sunday hours after he was questioned over his remarks made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra on women being sexually assaulted. The Congress leader questioned the sudden urgency after a 45-day delay after he made his speech in Srinagar.

Rahul Gandhi gave the 10-point reply hours after a Delhi Police team knocked on his doors for the third time in five days. He also sought eight to 10 days to give a detailed response to the questions posed by Delhi police over his January 30 remarks.

The Congress leader termed the police action "unprecedented" and asked whether this had anything to do with his position taken both inside and outside Parliament on the Adani issue.

According to them, Gandhi also asked what was the urgency on the part of the Delhi Police in making two visits in as many days after an initial gap of 45 days after he made his speech in Srinagar.

The former Congress chief asked whether any other political party, including the ruling party, has been subjected to such kind of scrutiny or questioning over their political campaigns," according to ANI.

The police team headed by Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Sagar Preet Hooda arrived at Rahul Gandhi's 12, Tughlaq Lane, residence around 10 am and was able to meet the Congress leader after two hours.

Hooda said the team held a meeting with Gandhi. "He (Gandhi) said he needs some time and will give us the information which we have asked for," Hooda said, adding the police today served a notice which has been accepted by Gandhi's office "and if questioning needs to be done then we will do it. We're trying to get details from him so that justice can be given to victims".

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

According to police, Gandhi gave a statement in Srinagar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra that "I have heard that women are still being sexually assaulted".

Rahul Gandhi had made the comments in Srinagar during the Bharat Jodo yatra.

"In one particular case I asked a girl, she had been raped, I asked her should we call the police, she said that don't call the police then I will be shamed", Rahul had said.

He went to say that that he had heard that women are still being sexually assaulted. Rahul Gandhi also made similar statement in his controversial speech in Cambridge university in the UK, where he said that when he was walking in Kashmir during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, two women approached him and held his hand. I felt something strange. It was like a desperate way of holding my hand. So, I looked at her and asked, tell me what is happening?".

He said that one of the women said, "my sister and me were gangs raped by five guys", when he talked to them. "This is not the conversation, you do, when you meet a person the first time." My first reaction was let's call the cops, but the girls said I cannot call the cops. If you call the cops, we will be shamed and we are never getting to go married. We just wanted our brother to know what is happening and they walked away."

Now, the police have asked him to give details of these victims so that security can be provided to them.