OROP suicide: Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia detained

Rahul Gandhi was detained twice following his attempts to enter the RMLâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Hospital to meet the family of the ex-serviceman. Pic/PTI

New Delhi:âÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088The alleged suicide of army veteran Ram Kishan Grewal (70) over the OROP issue yesterday snowballed into a huge political showdown in the capital with Rahul Gandhi being detained twice by Delhi police amid high drama and the movement of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal restricted; he was also detained later.

Leaders throng hospital
Several leaders of Congress and AAP, including deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, were earlier in the day held by the police while Rahul and Kejriwal tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul said the Delhi police action was symbolic of "undemocratic" mentality of the Modi government while Kejriwal accused the prime minister of being guilty of "deceit" and indulging in "lies" over the One Rank One Pension (OROP) issue.

The Congress and AAP leaders also accused the Modi government of being responsible for the death of the ex-serviceman, who ended his life yesterday by consuming poison on the lawns of a government building in Janpath.

Detentions across the board
The Congress VP was detained at Mandir Marg and Parliament Street police stations while Kejriwal's movement was restricted when he went to meet the grieving family members. Rahul was later taken to Tughlaq Road police station and released again.

Several Congress leaders including Randeep Surjewala, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kumari Selja were also detained while police was seen dragging scores of AAP workers.

The Congress and AAP leaders called the police action an assault on democracy and fundamental rights while calling the treatment meted out to the grieving family as "utterly shameful" and "unprecedented". "How can you arrest the son and father of martyr?" Rahul questioned.

The BJP on its part accused the Congress and AAP of playing politics over the suicide.