Senior Congress leaders and workers held a protest at Jantar Mantar here against the Centre's Agnipath defence recruitment scheme and the questioning of party leader Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, party's leader in the Lok Sabha Adir Ranjan Chowdhury, senior leaders Sachin Pilot, Salman Khurshid, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal took part in the protest.

However, police also detained 178 party workers and leaders, including Ganesh Ghogra (MLA, Rajasthan), under section 65 of Delhi Police (DP) Act. According to Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, the Special Commissioner of Police, Law and order, a request was received from the Secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC) for grant of permission to hold a Satyagraha at the Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on June 20.06.2022 and the permission was granted for gathering up to 1,000 party workers with certain conditions.

“The AICC supporters exceeding the permitted numbers were directed to leave the area in view of the prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC in force,” said the Special CP. Meanwhile, several organisations on Monday also held a demonstration against the Agnipath scheme at Jantar Mantar.

All the member organisations of  Sanyukt Rojgaar Andolan Samiti (SRAS) including Desh Ki Baat Foundation, Chatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Aam Aadmi Party youth wing participated in the "peaceful" demonstration, the SRAS said. “The Agneepath scheme by the Modi government betrays the youth and weakens the army,'' it alleged.

Delhi Minister Gopal Rai expressed solidarity with the SRAS protest. “Today, peacefully protesting at Jantar Mantar is banned. It is the murder of democracy, but it cannot barricade the voice against the Agneepath scheme.

The comment by the BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya yesterday that BJP will give security jobs to Agniveers in BJP offices shows the mindset of the BJP," he said.