Mumbai: Congress leaders on protest march to Raj Bhavan arrested, released later

Senior Congress leaders in Maharashtra were today arrested from various parts of Mumbai as they wanted to march to Raj Bhavan to protest against the Centre’s economic policies also against inflation, unemployment, GST, Agneepath scheme and farmers’ plight. State unit chief Nana Patole condemned the BJP-Shinde camp government for not allowing the party’s agitation by deploying the police force. The Congress leaders were later released.

However, Patole said that the party will continue to hold agitations to raise the issues of the common man adding that Congress was not scared of the pressure tactics.

Patole said that while the Congress was protesting across the country, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were detained by the police in Delhi. The treatment given to Priyanka Gandhi by the police is highly offensive and reprehensible. ‘’The Congress party is protesting against the BJP government. It is not a crime to raise people's issues in a democracy, but the Narendra Modi-led government does not believe in democracy and is trying to silence the voice of the opposition,’’ he alleged.

‘’We are in a democracy but the Maharashtra government is preventing people from agitating on the issue. The central government has imposed GST on children's milk, salt and flour. When people are suffering from inflation, you cannot question the government ? What kind of government is this.. Is there a ban on agitation in the state of ED (Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis) government?’’ asked Congress Legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat.