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Cong workers take to streets, top leaders among many held
Congress state chief Ajay Rai reportedly fainted for a few moments, just before he was taken into custody. Along with Rai, Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pandey and former state Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, were arrested.
Hundreds of Congress workers, including top leaders, were arrested on Wednesday as the party staged a protest as part of its ‘Vidhan Bhavan gherao’ agitation on the issues of inflation, unemployment and “poor law and order situation” in the state.
Congress state chief Ajay Rai reportedly fainted for a few moments, just before he was taken into custody. Along with Rai, Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pandey and former state Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, were arrested.
“We won’t stop until we remove this government that is working against teachers, farmers, small traders. We will add more issues concerning the people,” Rai said at the Eco Garden where he was taken in a bus by the police.
At 1 pm, hundreds of Congress workers marched from party office towards the UP legislative building (Vidhan Bhavan) but were stopped at the barricade near the Sunni Waqf Board office.
Shouting slogans, party workers tried to break the barricade but were foiled by heavy police deployment.
It was after a long time that Congress staged a show of strength via a protest, showing an inclination to invest politically in Uttar Pradesh. Party’s women wing workers also staged a protest. Some of them climbed up the barricades and were arrested too.
During the protest, no commuter was allowed to move on the main road. Even school children had to walk for over 500-metres as no vehicle was allowed.
Security personnel were deployed outside the state Congress office since morning. Barricading was done at multiple points, including the party office. The main road was blocked from either side for commuters.
The Congress had last week announced to stage a ‘gherao’ of the Vidhan Bhavan. The Congress deployed observers for each district to ensure a massive gathering of party workers.
Several Congress leaders, including state spokesperson Anshu Awasthy, were sent notices by police stations asking them to remain at home and avoid protest. The notices were served under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
