Congress leaders detained in Panipat, Sonepat, Rewari; Mahendragarh leaders evade police

Police detained several Congress leaders and placed others under house arrest in different parts of the state on Wednesday to prevent them from travelling to Delhi for the party’s protest over the alleged NEET examination paper leak and police action against students at Jantar Mantar.

In Panipat, former Haryana Youth Congress president Sachin Kundu was detained around 1 am and taken to the CIA-2 unit near the grain market before being released around 11 am. A video showing police personnel taking him away circulated widely on social media. Youth Congress district president (rural) Jagjeet Jaglan was also detained from Israna around midnight. Sources said the police also visited the residence of a senior Congress leader but returned after learning about his ill health. District Congress presidents Ramesh Malik (rural) and Baljeet Singh (urban) had already left for Delhi.

In Sonepat, police placed five Congress leaders under house arrest and detained two others early in the morning. Police teams also visited the residence of former MLA Surender Panwar, who had already left for Ambala to attend a court hearing. District Congress Committee (Rural) president Sanjeev Dahiya said police personnel remained stationed outside his residence after asking him not to leave for Delhi.

In Rewari, police teams reached the homes of District Congress Committee (Urban) president Praveen Chaudhary and District Congress Committee (Rural) president Subhash Chabri, preventing them from leaving. Both leaders alleged that the action violated their constitutional right to participate in a peaceful democratic protest. They were later released in the day.

In contrast, Mahendragarh district Congress president Satyavir Jhookia claimed he evaded the police by switching vehicles and reached Narnaul, where Congress workers staged a demonstration outside the Mini Secretariat and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner for forwarding to the President. Lawyers in Narnaul also held a protest march, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and expressing solidarity with students and activist Sonam Wangchuk.