Protesting Cong leaders detained, stopped from reaching Raj Bhavan

Along with Patole, senior leaders like Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Mohan Joshi, Chandrakant Handore and Varsha Gaikwad were among others stopped by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Dr Hari Balaji at the gate of the state legislature before they could proceed to the Raj Bhavan. Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap was riding a bike when he was stopped by the police at Kamla Nehru Park.

“We were only going to Raj Bhavan to protest against the Union government and the BJP. There is rising unemployment and harassment due to hike in GST. The police are under pressure and are stopping us,’’ Patole told mediapersons.

“Even in the British rule, peaceful protests were allowed. But under the ‘ED government’, even this is not possible,” Thorat said in an apparent reference to Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.

Later, Patole addressed a press conference to say that Congress will continue to raise the issues of the common man even if the ‘ED government’ tried to crush the protest by using force.

Speaking to mediapersons, Prithviraj Chavan said, “Why are the governments led by Modi and Shinde-Fadnavis scared if we hold peaceful protests to highlight the issues concerning the common man. Our leaders and workers were detained before we could start the protest. In Mumbai alone, as many as 10,000 party workers were held ahead of the protests.”

With the Mumbai Police sending notices to many Congress leaders ahead of the protest, the leaders alleged that this was an attempt to muzzle them.

With PTI inputs