NEW DELHI: Congress workers staged protests across several states on Wednesday, condemning the police action during the July 20 demonstration in Delhi and the detention of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders.Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several opposition leaders were detained on Tuesday after police action during the Congress protest near Lok Kalyan Marg in the national capital, according to news agency ANI.The party had been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.In Chennai, Congress workers protested against the alleged lathi charge on demonstrators in Delhi and the detention of Rahul Gandhi. Similar demonstrations were held in other parts of the country.In Kerala’s Palakkad, the Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) organised a march seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.In Bengaluru, members of the Congress Legal Cell held a protest against the Centre and demanded the Education Minister’s resignation. Several Congress workers were detained during the demonstration over the alleged NEET paper leak issue.
The BJP held counter-protests in several states against the Congress demonstration
In Surat, Congress workers were detained while protesting against the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and raising concerns over the alleged NEET paper leak.Earlier in the day, Telangana Congress workers organised a protest at Lok Bhavan in Hyderabad against Rahul Gandhi’s detention. Police personnel were deployed outside the venue as Congress supporters gathered for the ‘Chalo Lok Bhavan’ march.The BJP, meanwhile, held counter-protests in several states against the Congress demonstration near the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi.In Hyderabad, Telangana BJP president Ramchander Rao and other party leaders were detained after launching a march from the BJP state headquarters towards the Congress office.In Jammu, BJP workers protested outside the Congress office. Congress workers also gathered at the site and raised slogans, following which police intervened to prevent any confrontation between the two groups.In Vijayawada, BJP workers staged a protest against the Congress demonstration held near the Prime Minister’s official residence in Delhi. Raising slogans of “Rahul Gandhi Down Down”, BJP leaders and workers marched towards the Congress office and attempted to lay siege to it. A scuffle also broke out between Congress and BJP workers during the protest.Meanwhile, opposition MPs staged a protest in black attire on the Parliament premises. Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other opposition leaders participated in the demonstration.The nationwide protests follow the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in Delhi, during which police took action against demonstrators. Opposition parties have alleged that protesters were lathi-charged and subjected to tear gas during the protest.Opposition leaders have also criticised the detention of Rahul Gandhi and others, alleging that it was an attempt to suppress democratic dissent.
