Mumbai Youth Congress blocks road at Bandra Reclamation over Rahul Gandhi's detention in Delhi
Mumbai Youth Congress workers staged a late-night road blockade, protesting the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders by Delhi Police.
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The Mumbai Youth Congress held a road blockade at Bandra Reclamation at night to protest the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders by Delhi Police in the capital. Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and other Opposition leaders were detained as they were heading to the Election Commission's office for a meeting. The protest in Mumbai was a reaction to this.
The agitation was led by Mumbai Youth Congress president Zeenat Shabreen, and a large number of workers took part. Around 11 pm, the workers came out on the road and stopped traffic. Slogans were raised against the Modi government and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Youth Congress raised questions about transparency in the election process and the autonomy of democratic institutions. The protesters alleged that detaining Gandhi and the Opposition leaders was an attempt to suppress the voice of democracy.
General secretary Tejas Chandurkar, district president Pragya Dhavale, Ajay Mishra, Shadab Ansari, Shiva Yadav, Abdul Samad and Pankaj Chaudhary, along with other office-bearers and workers, took part in the protest.
Speaking during the protest, Shabreen made serious allegations against the Central government and BJP governments in various states. She claimed there was anger across the country over the "vote chori" issue.
According to Shabreen, Gandhi was going with around 300 MPs to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar when the police detained him. She said this was repression by the Modi government. She then warned: "Whenever the Modi government tries to suppress Rahul ji's voice, we will take to the streets and fight in his support."
The Youth Congress also alleged that, in an attempt to crush the protest in Mumbai, the police pushed around and beat women workers. The organisation further claimed that some women workers were dragged by their hair and thrown into a police van.
The Mumbai Youth Congress strongly condemned what it called the police's repression. The organisation has warned that it will continue the agitation for transparency in the election process and the autonomy of democratic institutions.
