UP Police thwart Congress’ Vidhan Sabha gherao plan; many detained, worker dead

Lucknow: In a dramatic turn of events, Congress leaders attempting to march toward the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday faced widespread detentions and house arrests.

Police blocked key routes, detained several senior party leaders, and imposed heavy security restrictions to prevent the planned gherao. Many Congress workers who gathered at the party’s state office in Lucknow were arrested and later moved to Eco Garden.

State Congress President Ajay Rai, leading the protest, was detained after a confrontation with police, during which he briefly lost consciousness. “The BJP government is scared of our voice. They are using oppressive tactics to suppress our democratic right to protest,” Rai asserted after regaining composure.

A Congress worker also died during the protest with Rai claiming the death was due to “police brutality” while a senior police officer said he was brought dead to the hospital with no injury marks on body.

From early Wednesday morning, police ramped up security, deploying Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and erecting barricades across key roads leading to Lucknow. Many Congress leaders, including outgoing state general secretary Anil Yadav and senior leader Dinesh Singh, were placed under house arrest. Notices were also issued, warning them against attempting to disrupt the Assembly session.

“These sharp-edged barricades show the government’s intent to harm our workers physically,” Rai alleged. “We are determined to reach the Assembly despite these brutal measures. No barricade can break our spirit.”

Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra Mona staged a sit-in near the Chaudhary Charan Singh statue at the Vidhan Bhavan, highlighting the government’s failures on law and order and farmers’ issues. “We have a constitutional right to protest, but the administration has locked down the entire city to silence us,” she said before being arrested. The police justified the detentions by citing security risks due to the ongoing Assembly session and the presence of VIPs in Lucknow. “Section 163 of the Indian Civil Defense Code is in force, and any attempt to disrupt peace will invite strict legal action,” read the official police notice.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna supported the police action, stating that the administration was acting within the law to prevent potential unrest. “The government is committed to ensuring public safety and maintaining order during the Assembly session,” he affirmed.

Despite the crackdown, Congress leaders vowed to continue their struggle. “The government has turned Uttar Pradesh into a police state,” Ajay Rai declared.