Congress leaders including UP party chief Ajay Rai detained during protest in Lucknow

Lucknow, Dec 18 (IANS) Several Congress leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Ajay Rai, were detained by the police while they were going to participate in a ‘gherao’ of the Assembly, here on Wednesday. 

The protest, aimed at voicing opposition to the policies of the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government, focused on issues such as unemployment, corruption, and the recent Sambhal violence.

The protest, which saw hundreds of Congress workers, was met with heavy resistance from state authorities, leading to detentions.

According to media reports, Ajay Rai's health deteriorated during the protest.

Just after he was detained, Ajay Rai spoke to the media and accused the BJP government of resorting to drastic measures to suppress the Congress party’s voice.

"The BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government wants to kill all the Congress workers. They are afraid of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra," Rai asserted.

"But we are firm, and we will ensure they lose in the coming elections," he added.

The protest was organised to question the Yogi Adityanath government's handling of key issues, particularly the violence in Sambhal. Despite the heavy-handed tactics used by the police, including detaining hundreds of Congress workers and placing several leaders under house arrest, the Congress party remained defiant.

On social media platform X, the UP Congress shared images from the protests.

“The BJP's stick of oppression and tyranny does not have enough power to shake the strong resolve of Congressmen. Injustice against Dalits, backward classes, women, farmers, and youth will not be tolerated at all in the state,” read one post, highlighting the party’s continued commitment to challenging what they deem oppressive government policies.

In another post, the UP Congress took a more defiant tone, saying, “Baba's government (Yogi Adityanath) may have erected a thousand barbed walls with the help of its police to stop Congress workers who were going to gherao the Assembly, but their strong resolve outweighs every pointed wall. Under the leadership of Congress General Secretary/In-charge, Uttar Pradesh Congress, Shri @avinashpandeinc ji and State President Shri @kashikirai ji, Congressmen today will demand answers to the public's questions and accountability from the government.”

Meanwhile, the state government’s crackdown on the protest was swift. Several Congress leaders were placed under house arrest across the state to prevent them from joining the demonstration in Lucknow. The police also barricaded roads and deployed additional security personnel around the Legislative Assembly to keep away the protesters.