PANAJI
A number of Congress leaders, including Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar and youth leader Varad Mardolkar were detained by police on charges of staging a protest outside the Raj Bhavan on Thursday.
The Congress had staged the demonstration to protest against the ongoing inquiry of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate.
The GPCC leaders had plans to submit a memorandum to Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, but the governor refused to give them an appointment.
The protesters were on their way to meet the governor but were stopped by police at the Dona Paula circle and they then squatted on the road. Police later detained Patkar, Mardolkar and other leaders.
While police claimed the workers were detained as they were blocking the road, Congress accused the police of using force to break their protest.
"Our protest was democratic and yet, brutal police force was used against us. Many youth and Mahila workers were manhandled by the police and forcibly taken away. They are using force against us but we stand strong in our struggle against their brutality,” said Patkar.
The Congress had staged the demonstration to protest against the ongoing inquiry of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate.
The GPCC leaders had plans to submit a memorandum to Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, but the governor refused to give them an appointment.
The protesters were on their way to meet the governor but were stopped by police at the Dona Paula circle and they then squatted on the road. Police later detained Patkar, Mardolkar and other leaders.
While police claimed the workers were detained as they were blocking the road, Congress accused the police of using force to break their protest.
"Our protest was democratic and yet, brutal police force was used against us. Many youth and Mahila workers were manhandled by the police and forcibly taken away. They are using force against us but we stand strong in our struggle against their brutality,” said Patkar.
