Watch: Indian opposition leader holds cop by collar at protest against Rahul Gandhi grilling

IN an attempt to resist detention during the opposition Indian National Congress's protest over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons to former party president Rahul Gandhi, leader and former union minister Renuka Chowdhury on Thursday (16) held a policeman by his collar while being taken away by other police personnel in Hyderabad in the southern Indian state of Telangana.

Videos of the incident went viral in no time.

The Telangana Congress held a massive protest in the state capital during the day over the ED investigating Gandhi in the National Herald case. Several Congress workers and leaders were detained by the police. Chowdhury was seen engaging in a heated argument with the policeman as she held his collar. Women police personnel then dragged the former union minister towards the police van.

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Congress had given a "Chalo Raj Bhavan" call and at Telangana's Raj Bhavan police detained several party workers who attempted to stage a protest there.

Apart from Hyderabad, the Congress held protests in several parts of the country including Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan.

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Congress workers also held a protest march in Bengaluru in the neighbouring state of Karnataka where local Congress leaders DK Shivakumar,  Siddaramaiah and others were detained by police during their protest in Bengaluru.

"The protest is our right. We will fight for justice. They (ED) are not taking cases of any BJP leaders. They are harassing only Congress people," Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar told Asian News International (ANI).

Bengaluru witnessed traffic snarls and an ambulance was seen stuck in the traffic.

Bengaluru Police said the Congress protest was against the high court's order.

"High Court had earlier ordered that protests will not be held anywhere except Freedom Park. We conveyed it to them. They gave us in writing about protest but we rejected it. We conveyed it to them in the morning too. If they proceed, we will take them into preventive custody," Bheemashankar S Guled, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru East told ANI.

Meanwhile, Congress workers also held a protest in Chandigarh against the questioning of Rahul Gandhi by ED. Several workers of the party were detained by police.

"I cannot understand what has Rahul Gandhi done that he has been called for 3 days? Yesterday, Delhi Police barged into AICC office and beat up our MPs. Such vendetta politics has never been seen before. Government should not try to suppress voices," Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Warring said.

"We will continue protesting. We were going to Raj Bhavan. Congress party stands with Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. We will not step back. We will not be scared," said a Congress worker.

Congress workers also staged a demonstration in Chennai and Jaipur.

"They want to suppress Rahul Gandhi's voice. They can't scare Indira Gandhi's grandson with lathis. Congress will be the reason behind BJP's end," said Rajasthan Minister P Khachariyawas.

Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse Congress workers protesting in Thiruvananthapuram over the ED probe against party leader Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.

Gandhi has been asked to rejoin the probe on Friday by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the National Herald case, said sources. The Congress leader left the ED office after 9 pm on Wednesday after he appeared before the ED for the third consecutive day for questioning.