UP Cong protest against inflation, unemployment

They have caught hold of our soldiers Congressmen and put them in buses and are taking them to an undisclosed destination, Khabri told reporters after the march was stopped midway.The Congress will, however, challenge the government that wants to gag the party which has become the voice of the people on issues such as unemployment, inflation, injustice and rampant atrocities, Khabri said.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress staged a protest on Monday against inflation and unemployment, alleging that the BJP government wants to gag the party which has become the voice of the people. The Congress had decided to hold protests at various levels to step up its attack on the government over the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

The Adani Group's stocks had taken a beating on the bourses after US-based short seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation, against it. The group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.

Led by UP Congress Committee president Brijlal Khabri, party workers, carrying flags and placards, started marching from the headquarters towards Raj Bhawan but were stopped by the police, leading to a tussle, a party spokesperson claimed.

''This BJP government has taken the help of the police to crush the voice of the people. They have caught hold of our soldiers (Congressmen) and put them in buses and are taking them to an undisclosed destination,'' Khabri told reporters after the march was stopped midway.

''The Congress will, however, challenge the government that wants to gag the party which has become the voice of the people on issues such as unemployment, inflation, injustice and rampant atrocities,'' Khabri said. The ''Hitlershahi government'' is being given a befitting reply by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said.

The police had made elaborate arrangements in view of the Congress protests and barricades had been set up near the party headquarters. In a tweet from its party handle, the Congress said, ''It is not even the morning of March 13 but 'Baba' has got the state headquarters barricaded from all sides as if a crime is about to happen. It is our constitutional right to raise the voice of the people then why so? If this is not dictatorship then what is?'' Police forcefully put the Congress workers into the buses but their arrangements fell short and more buses had to be called, the party spokesperson claimed.

According to convenor of the party's state media cell Lalan Kumar, the UPCC president and other senior leaders were taken away in buses to Eco garden which has been converted into a temporary jail.

On Saturday, Khabri had said statistics indicate that the graph of injustice and atrocities has increased in the state but the BJP government is completely asleep.

The Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is working to benefit its ''capitalist friends'', he had said, adding that the people of the country understand everything and will give a befitting reply to the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.