Madhya Pradesh Congress launched protests across the state on Tuesday, from the Assembly in Bhopal to Raj Bhavan, after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police during a protest near the Prime Minister’s residence.
In the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar led Congress MLAs in a sit-in outside the Chief Minister’s office. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari held a separate dharna outside Raj Bhavan, joined by party leaders and workers. The party also began protests at the district and block level across the state.
The detentions in Delhi followed protests by students over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Students had gathered at Jantar Mantar and marched towards Parliament, and several media reports and opposition leaders alleged that police used force to disperse them. Delhi Police have denied using a lathi charge on the protesters, saying the situation was handled “professionally.” Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra later led a separate protest near the Prime Minister’s residence over the issue, during which they, along with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, were detained by police.
Patwari said Rahul Gandhi’s detention was an attempt to suppress the voice of democracy, and that Congress would protest against it across Madhya Pradesh.
“Until Rahul Gandhi is released and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns, Congress’s protest will continue. The agitation has begun in every district and block of Madhya Pradesh. We will sit in protest through the night until justice is delivered,” Patwari said.
The Madhya Pradesh Congress Legislature Party said the protest was being held on the call of Rahul Gandhi, and that the government needed to answer for the police action against students. The party has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan take moral responsibility and resign.
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