Protest over Hathras case: Gujarat Cong MLAs, workers detained

Nearly 35 Gujarat Congress workers and two-party MLAs were detained here on Monday after they held a protest without permission over the alleged gang- rape and death of a Dalit woman from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, police said.

A similar protest was held in Surat where around 20 Congress workers were detained, they said.

Congress held protests in all major cities of Gujarat as part of the party's call for 'satyagraha' by its leaders and workers at district headquarters of states across the country against the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to seek justice for the victim and her family.

In Ahmedabad, the protest was organised outside the collectorate and was led by city Congress president Shashikant Patel and MLAs Gyasuddin Shaikh and Imran Khedawala.

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Apart from seeking justice for the victim, the opposition party condemned the alleged manhandling of senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by Uttar Pradesh police.

"The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is trying to shield the culprits. And when our leaders went to Hathras to meet the victim's kin, they were manhandled by the police," Patel alleged before his detention.

"As a responsible opposition party, we will not sit quietly against such lawlessness," he added.

The city police said the Congressmen held the protest without permission.

"We have detained around 35 Congress workers. We will release them afterwards," Ahmedabad's Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Patel said.

A similar protest was held outside Surat district collector's office where around 20 Congress workers, including women, were detained, another police official said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday recommended a CBI probe into the alleged gang-rape and death of the 19-year-old Dalit woman that triggered a nationwide outrage.