Youth Congress workers held after protest outside Bengaluru BJP office
Youth Congress workers protesting outside BJP's Bengaluru office over NEET police action were detained by police on Sunday.
Hundreds of Youth Congress workers were taken into preventive custody on Sunday after a protest outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state headquarters in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police action against students in New Delhi on July 20, who were protesting alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
The protesters raised slogans against the BJP and Mr. Shah, and attempted to enter the party office. Police had placed barricades outside the building to prevent the crowd from entering, leading to a tense standoff as protesters pushed against the barriers. The demonstration also blocked a road, disrupting traffic in the area.
As the situation escalated, police forcibly removed the protesters and took hundreds into preventive custody. They were released later. The protest saw participation from Indian Youth Congress National Secretary Tariq Bagawan, along with other office-bearers and students.
The Youth Congress alleged that police used canes to disperse protesters in New Delhi. Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee president H.S. Manjunath condemned the alleged police action, calling it an attempt to suppress the protesters' voice. He said the lathi charge against workers who were demonstrating for the future and justice of students was highly condemnable, and stressed that peaceful protest is a constitutional right.