Congress leaders and staff, together with Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee (JKPCC) president GA Mir, had been detained Monday after they staged a sit-in and tried to take out a march to protest alleged misuse of presidency businesses towards opposition leaders by the BJP- led central authorities.

The protest was a part of the nationwide agitation by the Congress towards questioning of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate within the National Herald cash laundering investigation.

Hundreds of Congress staff led by Mir assembled exterior social gathering headquarters at Shaheedi Chowk within the coronary heart of the town and staged a sit-in earlier than beginning a march which was, nevertheless, foiled by the police by barricading the primary Residency Road, officers stated.

They stated when the protesters tried to interrupt the police cordon, police swung into motion and detained the protesters who had been taken to police strains Nagar in two buses.

Prominent amongst these taken into preventive custody embody working Congress president Raman Bhalla, vp Mula Ram, chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma, former ministers Shabir Khan and Yogesh Sawhney, president Mahila Congress Indu Pawar and youth Congress president Udey Chib.

“The entire Congress leadership is on the roads across the country and our aim is to march towards ED offices to lodge a protest against the BJP-led government which is misusing central agencies,” Mir instructed reporters earlier than being detained by police.

Amid anti-BJP and pro-Congress sloganeering by the protesters, Mir alleged that BJP is utilizing the businesses like ED, National Investigation Agency and Central Bureau of Investigation to browbeat the opposition.

“Anyone speaking against the wrong policies of this government becomes the target of the central agencies. We are protesting against this situation and the undemocratic actions,” the Congress leader said.

He said Rahul Gandhi is bravely speaking against the “wrong policies” of the federal government and is being focused intentionally through the use of the enforcement directorate.

Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma stated the social gathering rank and file wouldn’t be cowed down by such measures. “We stand with our leader Rahul Gandhi and are ready to give any sacrifice,” Sharma stated.