Congress holds protest demonstration after Priyanka detained

West Bengal Congress Friday held a protest demonstration here after its leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained in Uttar Pradesh and stopped from going to Sonbhadra where 10 tribals were gunned down this week during a clash over a land dispute.

West Bengal Congress president Somendra Nath Mitra taking part in the protest demonstration accused the Narendra Modi-led Central government and the BJP-run Uttar Pradesh government of snatching democratic rights of the people.

Priyanka Gandhi was detained and stopped from going to Sonbhadra where 10 people were killed and taken to a guesthouse after she squatted on the road, insisting that she be allowed to proceed, UP Police officials said.

"The Central government has been snatching the people's democratic rights. The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is doing so. (Priyanka) Gandhi was stopped and not allowed to go to Sonbhadra. We are protesting against the act of the central and UP government," Mitra told reporters.

The Sonbhadra shootout acquired a sharp political edge with Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, alleging that Priyanka Gandhi was "illegally" arrested and the UP government was attempting to crush democracy while local police officers maintained she was just detained in Narainpur in the state's Mirzapur district.

Ten people were killed and 18 injured in the clash between supporters of the village head and Gond tribals over a piece of land in Sonbhadra's Ghorawal area on Wednesday.