Congress leaders protest outside Raj Bhavans

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday staged protests outside Raj Bhavans in various states over alleged attempts to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan.

In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, Rajya Sabha MP P L Punia and around 150 party workers were arrested while staging a dharna outside the Raj Bhavan. They were released later on personal bonds.

In Mumbai, ministers Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Varsha Gaikwad along with party workers shouted slogans against Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra. “The conspiracies to bring down non-BJP government have been hatched in the residences of the governors. It is misuse of the post of governor,” Thorat said.

In Patna, too, the party’s state chief Madan Mohan Jha, led a dharna. Later, a six-member party delegation submitted a memorandum to the governor’s office, urging President Ram Nath Kovind to intervene.

Protests were held outside Raj Bhavans in Kolkata, Dehradun, Raipur and other state capitals, too. In Gandhinagar, about 60 Congress workers, including state Congress president Amit Chavda and LoP Paresh Dhanani, were detained by police as they marched towards the Raj Bhavan.