Thu Dec 05 18:10:37 UTC 2024: **Mirzapur Police Clash with Congress Leaders During Candlelight March**
MIRZAPUR, INDIA – A planned candlelight march by Congress party leaders in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, protesting the recent violence in Sambhal, resulted in a clash with police on Thursday evening. The march, organized in response to state Congress president Ajay Rai’s directive, was intended to demonstrate against the BJP.
Congress leaders, including former Scheduled Tribes Commission member and former MLA Bhagwati Prasad Chaudhary, senior leader Rajan Pathak, and media in-charge Chhote Khan, claim they were preparing for a peaceful march near a Lal Bahadur Shastri statue when police intervened. They allege that police used force, detained them at the police station, and treated them roughly.
City CO Vivek Javala stated that the march was prohibited under Section 144 and that the leaders were detained for attempting to proceed without permission. He confirmed their subsequent release.
The Congress leaders maintain their march was peaceful and that the police action was unwarranted. The incident comes after Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were prevented from entering Sambhal earlier this week. The party is staging similar candlelight marches across Uttar Pradesh to protest the Sambhal violence.
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