Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, other Congress leaders detained amid protest

Several Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shashi Tharoor, were detained on Friday during their nationwide protests against rise in unemployment, GST rate hike and inflation. Congress MPs including Rahul Gandhi were detained at Police Lines Kingsway Camp during their protest against the Centre.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and senior leaders had planned a "PM House gherao" while Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs were to hold a "Chalo Rashtrapati Bhavan" from Parliament, the party had said.

However, Section 144 was imposed in New Delhi after Congress was denied permission to hold protests against the central government. 
 

Despite no permission from the Delhi Police, the party leaders said that they will go ahead with their proposed protest march.

Earlier in the day, Rahul alleged that 'this was an era of dictatorship and whatever was built in the past 70 years has been destroyed in the past eight years'. Rahul Gandhi and other Congress MPs had arrived at the Parliament wearing black clothes. 

He said, "The opposition voice is stifled and we are not allowed to protest outside Parliament and speak in the House."

He said the media was being intimidated and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that this is an era of terror and the public should come out in support of the cause.

"All the institutions, judiciary, media are being controlled by the RSS, and all financial infrastructure is being controlled by them."

(With agency inputs)