Cong workers protest at yoga venue against Centre, detained

Chandigarh: Congress workers were on Tuesday taken into preventive custody while taking out a protest march towards Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present to take part in the second International Yoga Day (IYD) event.

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The party workers from Chandigarh and Punjab were carrying black flags as they marched but they were stopped by the police at Sector 34-35 and sector 15 respectively and taken into preventive custody, police said. They were later released.

Chandigarh Territorial Congress President Pradeep Chhabra claimed that over 200 of party workers were taken into custody.

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He said they were not opposing Yoga but their protest was against alleged wrong policies of the Modi government.

He alleged that the Chandigarh Administration has "wasted huge sum of money" on the mega event.

"Our protest was against the anti-people policies of the Modi government which has hurt every section of the society be it farmer, common man, trader, youth," Chhabra said.

"The BJP-led government has failed on every front despite making big promises before elections," he alleged.

Congress workers from Punjab said they were also protesting against the farmer suicide issue.

Members of Congress' students union NSUI also held protest against the Modi government near gate no 1 of Panjab University. They were also detained.