The Congress has alleged that the Madhya Pradesh Police were “threatening” coaching centre operators and forcing them to sign statements taking responsibility for the safety of the students attending party leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore on Saturday.

Congress Rajya Sabha member and spokesperson Pawan Khera said the Madhya Pradesh Police has crossed all limits of “shamelessness”.

“Coaching centre operators are being threatened. They are being forced to sign statements saying that the responsibility for the safety of students attending the programme will be theirs,” Khera alleged.

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Alleging that this was not security, but “a complete chain of intimidation”, Khera said the police first “threatened” Rahul Gandhi, then the organisers, and finally the coaching centres and students.

Rajiv Gandhi reference ‘attempt to intimidate’

“An attempt was made to intimidate Rahul Gandhi by referencing the tragic assassination of his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, ahead of the programme,” he further claimed.

The Congress had earlier alleged that the police’s security conditions document stated that the “Verma Commission report has analysed the role of event organisers and local political activists in great depth and detail” and the “Commission clarified that the organisers’ irresponsible attitude was the primary reason for the security breakdown in the Sriperumbudur incident on May 21, 1991.”

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a suicide bombing at Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, on May 21, 1991. The Verma Commission’s mandate was to probe the security lapses that led to the assassination.

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Khera said ensuring the safety of every individual at any public event is the administration””s responsibility. “A government that intimidates people instead of protecting them is itself announcing its own failure,” added the Congress MP.