Congress workers and local leaders staged protests across several states on Tuesday against the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders in Delhi, while also condemning the police action against CJP activists during their protest on Monday. Demonstrations were held in Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Jabalpur and Bhubaneswar, where Congress workers raised slogans against the Centre and accused the government of suppressing democratic protests.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Congress and Keralam Students Union (KSU) workers held a protest over the detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders in Delhi. KSU State President Aloshious Xavier alleged that students protesting for justice had been subjected to police action and criticised the detention of the Congress delegation. "The entire student community of the country is fighting for the justice of the students who have been brutally attacked by the Delhi Police... A delegation of the entire Congress and MPs under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi went in front of the residence of the Prime Minister to express our concerns. But they were brutally dragged into the road and were arrested. The protest will be held across the nation," Xavier said.
In Guwahati, Congress leaders and workers staged a protest condemning the alleged police lathi-charge on students in New Delhi and the subsequent detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders and workers in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, also held a demonstration against the detention of the party leaders during the LKM protest. Jabalpur Congress Committee President Saurabh Nati Sharma alleged that the Centre had failed to respond to questions surrounding the NEET issue. "When students of this country speak out for transparency in the education system, the Modi government lathi-charges them and fires tear gas shells. The students of India are asking how the NEET scam happened, who committed the NEET scam, or who benefited from it? The Education Minister of this country is not resigning, the Prime Minister is not breaking his silence... When the Leader of the Opposition goes to question PM Modi, they too are detained," Sharma said.
Responding to the protest in Jabalpur, DSP Akhilesh Gaur said the police had made adequate security arrangements and prevented protesters from burning an effigy. "This evening, a protest was being held by the Congress Party at Malviya Chowk. As soon as the police became aware of this, they made elaborate arrangements. They had planned to burn an effigy, but this was not allowed to happen. Law and order was maintained, and the crowd was dispersed," Gaur said.
In Bhubaneswar, senior Odisha Congress leaders and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) workers staged a protest outside Lok Bhawan demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Former Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sarat Patnaik accused the BJP-led Centre of ignoring Rahul Gandhi's demands for students and questioned the detention of the Leader of Opposition. "The BJP government doesn't pay any attention to the demands our leader Rahul Gandhi is making for the students... These people don't pay any attention to anything. Didn't you see the way he was picked up and taken away? He is the LoP; what violation has been committed? Is sitting peacefully in a protest in a democratic country a big crime?... The way they are taking the country, they will ruin it and leave it behind," Patnaik said.
Senior Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray alleged that students had been subjected to police excesses and said the nationwide protests were being held in support of Rahul Gandhi. "The students have been brutally tortured by the police; that is why Rahul Gandhi and all MPs have protested in front of the Prime Minister's house. That is why the entire Congress in India is protesting today under the leadership of Congress state president Bhakta Charan Das. We all have come here to protest to support Rahul Gandhi, and it is important that the PM, the Home Minister and Dharmendra Pradhan must resign," Routray said.
Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with several other leaders, were released from detention after Delhi Police's action over the party's protest at Lok Kalyan Marg, demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several opposition leaders left from Chhatrasal Stadium, where they were brought under detention by the police.
Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi reached the Mandir Marg Police Station, where Priyanka Gandhi was detained. Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera protested at Lok Kalyan Marg. Keralam Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar also joined the protest.
The whole fiasco came after the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)'s 'Sansad Chalo' protest on Monday, which was met with police action in Central Delhi (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
