Bengaluru: Thousands of Youth Congress members led by KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition Leader Siddharamaiah held a torchlight march in Bengaluru yesterday protesting against AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s arrest by Uttar Pradesh Police.

The protest began from the KPCC Central Office on Queen’s Road and culminated near Raj Bhavan.

The torchlight march passed through the city’s busy junctions such as Balekundri Junction and Indian Express Junction.

Before the protestors reached GPO junction, the Police prevented them from reaching Raj Bhavan by detaining them near Indian Express Junction.

Shivakumar, Siddharamaiah, Raksha Ramaiah, KPCC Working Presidents R. Ramalinga Reddy, Saleem Ahmed and R. Dhruvanarayan, Legislators Priyank Kharge, Rizwan Arshad and U.B. Venkatesh were detained by the Police.

Throughout the march, Congress leaders raised slogans against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshva Prasad Mourya and  Minister of State of Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra, whose car allegedly ploughed over protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri.

Later, the protesting leaders submitted a memorandum to Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot demanding arrest of Mishra’s son Ashish.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddharamaiah alleged that goons in the guise Police are patrolling Uttar Pradesh and the State is under demonic rule.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Pra-desh Youth Congress Committee President Raksha Ramaiah said that the Youth Congress will soon launch a Statewide protest, not only to highlight UP Police atrocities, but also expose duplicity of BJP’s VIP culture.

The torchlight protest march was held following the arrest of Priyanka Gandhi when she was on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the family of the deceased in the early hours of Monday morning. Priyanka Gandhi alleged that she was pushed and manhandled by UP Police, while she was being arrested.