Congress stages protests in Northeast over Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against Rahul Gandhi

GUWAHATI/AGARTALA: Congress workers and leaders in several Northeastern States, including Assam, on Wednesday organized protests against the questioning of their leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

In Guwahati, the police detained Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah and other leaders and workers when they were protesting against the summons issued by the ED to Rahul Gandhi.

The protests later turned tense as clashes were reported between the police and the protesters following which a police officer got injured.

The police had put up barricades to stop the Congress members - both men and women - from protesting and when the protesters tried to breach the barricades, the police detained them.

The Congress leaders claimed that female protesters were 'badly handled' by the police during the protest.

The Congress leaders announced that they would hold a protest in front of the Raj Bhawan on Thursday.

In Agartala, Congress leaders and workers led by Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Birajit Sinha organized demonstrations in front of the ED office on the outskirts of the city.

Abstaining from election campaign, Sudip Roy Barman and Ashish Kumar Saha, both candidates for the June 23 by elections in Agartala and Town Bordowali Assembly constituencies, accompanied by former State Congress chief Gopal Roy and party general secretary Prashanta Bhattacharjee led the fierce protests.

In Imphal, Manipur Congress leaders and workers led by State party president Keisham Meghachandra also held protest rallies on the issue.

In Kohima, the Nagaland Congress led by the party's working president Khriedi Theunuo urged President Ram Nath Kovind to restrain the BJP-led Central Government from indulging in "political vendetta" against their party leaders.

The Congress leaders on Monday met Governor Jagdish Mukhi at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima and submitted a memorandum.

"Utilizing the services of Central Government agencies including ED, CBI, NIA etc., political vendetta has been unleashed by the NDA Government against political opponents in the country," the memorandum said. (IANS)

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