Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress President, Amit Chavda, was among around 100 Congress leaders and workers detained by police in Ahmedabad on Wednesday after a protest over the alleged NEET paper leak and a demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan escalated into scuffle with security personnel.
The protest began with a sit-in at the party headquarters, Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, before party leaders and workers marched towards a nearby crossroads.
Police stopped the procession, leading to a confrontation in which some protesters reportedly climbed onto police vehicles while officers attempted to remove them.
Police subsequently detained Chavda, MLA Imran Khedawala and dozens of other leaders and workers, including women protesters. “All of them are being taken to Shahibaug police station,” a party worker said.
Around three police buses were used to take those detained into custody.
The Ahmedabad protest came a day after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Opposition leaders, staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence in New Delhi over the NEET controversy and police action against student protesters.
Delhi Police later detained the Congress leaders before releasing them. The protest followed demands for accountability over the alleged examination irregularities and for the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
Before the march in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Congress held a meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, after which party leaders and workers gathered outside the office, raised slogans and began their protest march.
As the situation intensified, Chavda and other senior leaders sat on the road in protest. Among those who attended the protest was Prashant Patel, the father of Kahan, the student who died by suicide before the NEET examination.
Speaking at the demonstration, Patel said: “My son also lost his life because of the leaks, which is why I went to Delhi for the protest. Today I have come to Ahmedabad.”
Meanwhile, the BJP announced that it would stage a protest outside Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan later today in response to the Congress demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi.
State BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma, state office-bearers, party leaders and workers are expected to participate in the programme.
Anticipating further protests, senior police officers were deployed around Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan and barricades were erected outside the Congress office before the BJP demonstration.
Police maintained a heavy security presence in the area as political activity continued through the day.
(IANS)
