Opposition MPs will wear black in Parliament to protest the alleged manhandling of students and lawmakers. The protest follows the detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and others during a march against the government’s handling of academic unrest.
Opposition parties on Wednesday intensified their protest against the central government over the alleged manhandling of students and lawmakers by security forces during recent demonstrations. Members of various opposition outfits have decided to register their dissent by sporting black attire within the Parliament premises, signaling a unified stand against the government’s handling of recent academic unrest and administrative high-handedness.
Opposition Announces ‘Black Day’ Protest
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said, “All MPs of the Opposition parties will come dressed in ‘black’ clothes today and observe a ‘Black Day’ in protest over the use of police against the students and the MPs. We want the government to have dialogue with the students and do an overhaul of the education system.”
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said, “There is a limit to shamelessness. A lathi charge happened on 20 July, and yesterday we protested, so if a lathi charge was used against students… People without name tags enter, and attack, and the LoP or the opposition just remains seated and does not raise our voice?… You are saying that we are misusing the emotions of the students…”
Nationwide Protests and Leader Detentions
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress workers and local leaders staged protests across several states on 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 ccused the government of suppressing democratic protests.
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leaders marched from Rajaji Marg towards Lok Kalyan Marg, demanding accountability over the alleged examination paper leak, action over the police crackdown on student protesters, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, along with several other leaders, were detained by Delhi Police over the party’s protest at Lok Kalyan Marg and were later released from detention.
Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several opposition leaders left from Chhatrasal Stadium, where they were brought under detention by the police.
As police detained the protesters, Priyanka Gandhi criticised the government’s actions. “They are cowards. They are scared. We are not scared of them. They are scared of us,” she told ANI while being taken into police custody.
Police personnel were seen carrying Rahul Gandhi towards a police bus as security forces dispersed demonstrators gathered near Lok Kalyan Marg. Several Congress MPs and party workers were also detained during the protest.
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.
Background of the Unrest
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)
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