Varanasi: In protest against detention of LOP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Delhi on Tuesday evening, as well as cane charge on protesters at Jantar Mantar, leaders and workers of both parties staged protest at different places in the district on Wednesday.The series of protests began late Tuesday evening following the arrest of Rahul and Akhilesh as scores of SP leaders and office- bearers gathered near Mahamana Madan Mohan Maliya statue. They were sent to Ramnagar police station and allowed to go home late night, said DCP Kashi Gaurav Banswal.In view of possibility of further escalation in protests, Banaras Hindu University and Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth were fortified with heavy police and other armed forces since Wednesday morning, due to which, the bid to carry out marches against cane charge of protestors demanding resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in NEET paper leak episode, could not spread on campus.SP activists tried to stage demonstration with posters in their hands at district headquarters but they all were held and sent to police lines. DCP Varuna zone Pramod Kumar said eight protestors were held and all were allowed to go home later.A group of lawyers also staged sit-in for few minutes at district magistrate office’s portico to mark their protest against arrest of opposition leaders.Youth Congress activists, under the leadership of city unit president Chanchal Sharma, staged a protest demanding protection of democracy and rights of youth. Workers marched towards the Ambedkar statue, condemned the mistreatment of Rahul Gandhi and demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. Police took the workers into custody.
