Congress demonstrated across the country against the police action in Delhi and the detention of Rahul Gandhi. BJP also retaliated with protests, leading to tension at many places. During this period many workers of both the parties were detained.
New Delhi [भारत]July 22 (ANI): Congress workers protested in several states on Wednesday. The protest was held to condemn the police action and detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders during the July 20 protests in the national capital.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, including several other opposition leaders, were taken into custody following police action during the party’s protest near Delhi’s Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday. Congress had demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Nationwide protest by Congress
Congress workers in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, protested against the alleged police lathicharge on protesters in Delhi and the detention of Rahul Gandhi. In Palakkad, Kerala, Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) took out a march against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding his resignation. In Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Congress Legal Cell held a protest against the central government, in which the protesters also demanded the resignation of the Education Minister. Congress workers detained during protests over alleged NEET paper leak. Congress workers were also detained in Surat, Gujarat for protesting against the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and raising the issue of alleged NEET paper leak. Earlier in the day, Telangana Congress held a protest at Lok Bhavan in Hyderabad condemning the detention of Rahul Gandhi. Police were deployed outside Lok Bhawan as Congress workers gathered for the ‘Chalo Lok Bhawan’ march.
BJP’s counter demonstration
Meanwhile, BJP also held counter protests in several states against Congress’ demonstration near the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi. In Hyderabad, Telangana BJP president Ramachander Rao and other party leaders were detained by police after they launched a counter-protest from the state BJP headquarters towards the Congress office. BJP workers also protested outside the Congress office in Jammu, where Congress workers came out and raised slogans, following which police personnel had to intervene and prevent the protesters from clashing. In Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayawada, BJP workers protested against the Congress demonstration organized near the Prime Minister’s official residence in Delhi. Raising slogans of “Rahul Gandhi is down”, BJP leaders and workers marched towards the Congress office and tried to gherao it. There was also a scuffle between Congress and BJP leaders during the protest.
Protest in Parliament premises also
Meanwhile, opposition MPs protested in the Parliament complex wearing black clothes. Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders were present during this demonstration.
These protests are taking place in the wake of the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ protest in the national capital, which led to police action. Opposition leaders have criticized the action, alleging that the protesters were lathicharged and tear gas shells were fired on them. The opposition has condemned the police action and alleged that the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other leaders is an attempt to suppress democratic protests. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)