Protest against fuel prices: UP Congress chief, party workers detained in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and other party workers were detained by police ahead of their protest against the hike in fuel prices on Friday.

The party's media convener Lalan Kumar said the UP Congress chief was not allowed to step out of his house and later, taken to Eco Garden along with the workers.

Congress workers were scheduled to stage a protest at a filling station in the busy Hazratganj area and then march towards the Vidhan Sabha, Lalan Kumar said.

''I was not allowed to step out of the house in the morning and later, brought to the Eco Garden, where about 350 party workers, including MLC Dipak Singh and other-officer bearers, were present,'' Lallu told PTI over the phone.

''This shows the dictatorial attitude of the government. We were stopped from raising the matter which concerns the common people of the state and the country,'' he said.

Similar protests were staged across the state, Lallu said, adding that party leaders were "arrested" in Allahabad.

Lalan Kumar said Congress workers held demonstrations in a peaceful manner to protest the unprecedented hike in fuel prices on the call of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In Muzaffarnagar, hundreds of party workers staged a dharna outside a petrol pump to protest against the central government.

They were led by the party's district president, Subodh Sharma, and city president Junaid Rauf.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)