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U.P.: Cong leaders make bid to gherao Raj Bhawan, detained
A party spokesman said the protests were organised across the country against the Centre’s “anti-people policies”
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Brijlal Khabri and several other party leaders were taken into custody on Monday as they attempted to lead a procession to ‘gherao’ Raj Bhawan to protest against ‘anti-people’ policies of the Centre that the Congress calls ‘crony capitalism’.
A minor scuffle was witnessed between the Congress leaders and the police as the former insisted on proceeding towards the Raj Bhawan. The police stopped the party leaders at a few metres’ distance from the UPCC headquarters, detained them and took them to a temporary jail at the eco-gardens here.
UP Congress spokesman Ashok Singh said the party leaders were later released. This is after a long gap that the UPCC organised any protest at Lucknow to bring issues of public interest to the fore.
UPCC spokesman Krishnakant Pandey said senior party leader Rahul Gandhi has been questioning the relations between the BJP leadership and certain leaders of the industry. He said the BJP leaders, however, have been avoiding any reply to the issue at any platform.
He said the Congress has organised protests against the Modi government’s anti-people policies across the country. Besides Khabri, party’s zonal presidents including Naseemuddin Siddiqui, Nakul Dubey, Ajai Rai and Yogesh Dixit were also taken into custody.
