Senior Gujarat Congress leaders and party workers were detained here today when they tried to march towards the state Assembly protesting against the Gujarat Irrigation and Drainage Bill 2013, which they claimed is "anti-farmer".
State Congress president Arjun Modhwadia, Leader of Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela, central ministers Dinsha Patel and Tushar Chaudhary were among others who were detained by the police and released later.
The police also detained a number of Congress leaders and workers who tried to march towards the Assembly protesting against the Bill, which proposes stringent measures including penal actions against farmers who violate norms, after holding a public meeting.
The Congress had been permitted to hold a public meeting and not a march to the Assembly, police said.
The Bill was passed by the Assembly in the first week of March and Governor Kamla Beniwal recently gave it her nod.
Earlier in the public meeting, Modhwadia said that the "draconian" Bill will take away farmers' right to use water for irrigation.
"This government has made farmers' life difficult by not supplying electricity and now they want to restrain them from using water as well. The Congress has decided to organise a Jal Adhikar Yatra from April 10, which will begin from Dwarka. Farmers will break laws listed in this new Bill from that date," he said.
