Daily Bulletin: Barring a few Rahul refuses to meet party leaders, Karnataka CLP to meet today, one arrested in Payal Tadvi suicide case; day's top stories

Rahul skips meeting with party leaders, lets Priyanka do the talking

The crisis in the Congress showed no signs of easing on Tuesday with Rahul Gandhi sticking to his decision to resign as party chief after its Lok Sabha poll debacle and staying way from meeting party leaders, except a few including his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Representational image. News18

Sources said Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his deputy Sachin Pilot went to meet Gandhi at his Tughlaq lane residence, but they only managed to meet Priyanka there. The sources said Gandhi is not meeting anyone and remains incommunicado. He met only Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi during the day, besides party leaders KC Venugopal and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. Rahul met Sonia in the evening and the two spent some time together. Sonia came along with Rahul to drop him at his residence and spent some time there too. But there was no word on whether the party could convince Rahul to drop his decision to resign. Asked whether Rahul has taken back his resignation, Pawan Khera said, "The CWC is the most important decision making body of our party. The CWC had rejected the resignation. What else do you want me to say? The CWC has rejected his offer to resign, has rejected his resignation."

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The Agripada police arrested Bhakti Mehere after initial interrogation, an officer said. Mehere and two other doctors, Ankita Khandelwal and Hema Ahuja, were booked after the woman, Payal Tadvi committed suicide, the police said. All three moved an anticipatory bail application before the sessions court here on Tuesday and it is likely to come up for hearing on Wednesday.

Tadvi hanged herself last Wednesday, following which the 26-year-old's family alleged that the senior doctors tortured her by ragging and hurling casteist abuses as she belonged to a Scheduled Tribe. Tadvi's parents protested at the state-run hospital in Mumbai where she worked. Other protesters also joined Tadvi's mother Abedam and husband Salman, demanding stringent action against the three seniors.

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