New Delhi [India], July 22 : Congress workers held protests across several states on Wednesday, condemning the police action during the July 20 protest in the national capital and the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders.
Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with several other opposition leaders, were detained on Tuesday following police action during the party's protest near Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. The Congress had demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Congress workers staged protests in Tamil Nadu's Chennai against the alleged police lathi charge on protesters in Delhi and the detention of Rahul Gandhi.
In Kerala's Palakkad, the Youth Congress and Kerala Students Union (KSU) organised a march against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding his resignation.
In Karnataka's Bengaluru, the Congress Legal Cell held a protest against the Central Government, with demonstrators also demanding the Education Minister's resignation. Congress workers were detained during the protest over the alleged NEET paper leak.
In Gujarat's Surat, Congress workers were also detained while protesting against the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and raising the issue of the alleged NEET paper leak.
Earlier in the day, the Telangana Congress held a protest at Lok Bhavan in Hyderabad, condemning Rahul Gandhi's detention. Police were deployed outside Lok Bhavan as Congress workers gathered for the 'Chalo Lok Bhavan' march.
Meanwhile, the BJP staged 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 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, prompting police personnel to intervene and prevent the protesters from clashing.
In Andhra Pradesh's 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 leaders during the protest.
Meanwhile, opposition MPs staged a protest wearing black clothes on the Parliament premises. Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders were present during the demonstration.
The protests come in the wake of the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' protest in the national capital, which witnessed police action. Opposition leaders have criticised the action, alleging that protesters were lathi-charged and subjected to tear gas.
The opposition has condemned the police action and alleged that the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other leaders was an attempt to suppress democratic protests.