Congress workers in Manipur held a demonstration in Imphal on Wednesday to protest the detention of Rahul Gandhi and other senior party leaders after their sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Led by state Congress president O Ibobi Singh, party workers marched towards the Lok Bhavan in Imphal, raising slogans against the central government for the police action.
During the rally, they held placards aloft with messages - 'save students, save Manipur', 'we condemn detention of Rahul Gandhi' and 'stop paper leaks' - written on them.
"The way Rahul Gandhi was unlawfully detained is highly condemnable. The NEET paper leak has affected thousands of innocent students. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained silent on the issue. In a democratic country, protests and dharna for right reasons should not be suppressed," Singh said.
Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and leaders of other opposition parties held a surprise sit-in outside the prime minister's residence on Tuesday, demanding his resignation.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh, along with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, went to the site to persuade them to vacate the sensitive area.
Rahul Gandhi's discussion with the minister lasted a few minutes, after which Singh and the home secretary left as the talks remained inconclusive.
Soon after Singh left the protest site, the police forcibly removed and detained Rahul, Priyanka and other leaders on Tuesday evening.
Rahul Gandhi was taken to the Chhatrasal stadium in Model Town after his detention, but was released a few hours later. Priyanka Gandhi and some other MPs were taken to the Mandir Marg police station, where Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited them. They were released after a few hours.
On Monday, thousands of young and angry people converged near Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon session to push for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET exam paper leaks. They clashed with the police personnel.
More than 50 police personnel and protesters were injured during clashes, while about 100 people were detained.
The Manipur Congress chief said a memorandum, addressed to Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla, was submitted, demanding "a full discussion in Parliament on examination irregularities and failure of the government to safeguard the future of the students, withdrawal of all FIRs against innocent students during the Delhi incidents".
The Manipur Congress also demanded the resignation of Pradhan.
(With inputs from PTI)
