Ahmedabad, Jul 20 (PTI) As many as 150 protesters were detained in Ahmedabad on Monday evening for demonstrating against the Central government over alleged irregularities in the education sector and competitive exam paper leaks.
A large crowd of youngsters, mostly college students, gathered near MJ Library on Ashram Road, shouting slogans for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
They also raised slogans against the Centre, accusing it of suppressing their voice using police force.
“We are holding a peaceful protest in the city of Mahatma Gandhi, which is our democratic right. Yet, police are using force and detaining us,” a woman said.
Additional Commissioner of Police, Neeraj Kumar Badgujar, told reporters that the demonstrators were detained for staging a protest without permission.
“We have detained nearly 150 people from the spot as they were holding protests without any permission from authorities. They will be released afterwards,” said Badgujar.
Earlier in the day, protests were held in some cities of Gujarat in solidarity with the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in New Delhi and fasting activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Some persons were detained in Ahmedabad for staging a demonstration at Law Garden sans permission, officials said.
Protests were also organised in Surat, Junagadh and Bhavnagar, with participants chanting slogans against the government and Dharmendra Pradhan, wearing T-shirts in support of CJP and holding banners hailing Wangchuk and his hunger strike.
Some of them also held copies of the Constitution in their hands.
“While rapists are roaming scot free, students like us are being jailed,” said a protester as she was taken away by the police.
In Surat, protesters gathered at the collectorate.
Thousands of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Monday morning despite heavy rain and unprecedented security arrangements across central Delhi, as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) pressed ahead with its proposed “Sansad Chalo” march. PTI KA PJT PD BNM NSK
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