Mangaluru: Congress workers staged a protest near the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Lalbagh on MG Road on Wednesday, condemning the detention of senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi by the Delhi Police. The demonstration, organised on the directions of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad, later led to the detention of several protesters after they attempted to march towards the BJP office at PVS.
Protest held against detention of Congress leaders
Congress workers gathered at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Lalbagh to register their protest against the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in Delhi.
Holding placards and raising slogans, the protesters accused the Central government of suppressing democratic voices and targeting opposition leaders. They condemned the police action against the Congress leadership and demanded accountability from the Union government.
The protest was organised as part of a wider demonstration held across Karnataka following instructions issued by KPCC President B.K. Hariprasad.
March towards BJP office stopped
After the protest at Lalbagh, the demonstrators attempted to take out a march towards the BJP office at PVS.
Police personnel, who had been deployed at the venue to maintain law and order, intercepted the march before it could proceed further.
The protesters were stopped from moving ahead, leading to a brief standoff between Congress workers and the police.
Police detain protesters
As the protesters continued their attempt to march towards the BJP office, the police detained several Congress workers to prevent any breach of peace.
The detained protesters were taken into preventive custody as part of security measures. The situation remained under control, and no major untoward incidents were reported during the demonstration.
Police maintained tight security in the area to ensure normal movement of traffic and public safety.
Slogans raised against Centre
During the protest, Congress workers raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government, expressing their anger over the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.
The demonstrators alleged that opposition leaders were being targeted and said the action was against democratic principles. They reiterated their demand for the protection of democratic rights and peaceful political expression.
The protest concluded after the police detained the demonstrators and dispersed the gathering.
Conclusion
The demonstration in Mangaluru was part of the Congress party’s coordinated protests against the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. While the protest remained largely peaceful, the attempted march towards the BJP office resulted in the preventive detention of several Congress workers by the police.