Congress Leaders Detained at Home Ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly Protest

Lucknow, Dec 18 (NationPress) Numerous Congress leaders have been placed under house arrest across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, as the Congress Party mobilized for its intended gherao of the Legislative Assembly in Lucknow concerning the Sambhal violence and other matters such as unemployment and corruption.

The demonstration, organized by the Congress to express dissent against the policies of the Yogi Adityanath-led government, has ignited a vigorous reaction from authorities, resulting in an extensive security and police presence in numerous districts.

In Raebareli, the parliamentary constituency of Rahul Gandhi, local party officials, including the Municipal Council President, were also put under house arrest.

A substantial contingent of police officers was stationed near the toll plaza, reportedly to obstruct Congress workers from gathering or heading towards Lucknow for the protest.

The restrictions implemented in this politically significant area are seen as an effort to prevent a display of strength by the Congress in the heart of the Opposition stronghold.

Similarly, in Bhadohi, senior Congress leader Abdul Khan was also detained at home by local police. Khan was scheduled to participate in the demonstration in Lucknow, alongside several other Congress leaders from the area.

Sources indicate that multiple Congress leaders were placed under house arrest in Bhadohi since the prior evening, as the state administration curtailed the party’s protest plans.

Nonetheless, many Congress workers remain resolute in their intention to join the protest, although several have reported being discouraged or hindered from departing their residences.

In Auraiya, Anshu Tiwari, the Congress State General Secretary, was similarly confined at his home. Police forces were deployed outside his residence to prevent his participation in the protest.

Tiwari, who had been actively involved in coordinating the gherao of the Assembly, criticized the government's actions, labeling it an effort to suppress democratic rights.

“We intended to alert the state government regarding public issues, but the frightened government has confined us at home. CM Yogi and PM Modi are intimidated by us. It’s a disheartening indication that the government feels threatened by its own citizens,” Tiwari stated, adding that the administration was denying people their right to peacefully protest.

The Congress, which has been critical of the BJP government’s management of various state issues, has organized the gherao as a platform to highlight public grievances, particularly regarding the Sambhal violence, unemployment, corruption, and the rights of farmers and laborers.

The protest is viewed as a rallying call for the party's base in Uttar Pradesh, which has been striving to retain relevance ahead of the upcoming 2027 elections.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ajay Rai, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, condemned the actions of the state government.

“The Yogi government, fearing the Congress’ Assembly gherao, is resorting to undemocratic methods to silence our voices. They are employing the police to intimidate and confine our leaders and workers. This is merely an effort to suppress the democratic rights of the populace,” Rai asserted.

He additionally accused the government of acting in panic, fearing that the Congress protest would expose the failures of the ruling administration.

In anticipation of the gherao, security around the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Lucknow was considerably heightened.

Roads leading to the Assembly premises were barricaded, and a heavy police presence was noted throughout the city. The measures taken by the authorities reflect the high-stakes nature of the planned protest and the government’s resolve to avert any disruptions to legislative proceedings.