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Bengaluru, Jul 28: Several state Congress leaders, including its President D K Shivakumar, among others, were detained by police as they tried to march towards Raj Bhavan here against the alleged attempts by BJP to topple the party's government in Rajasthan.

Shivakumar, along with Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, state Congress Working President Eshwar Khandre, Salim Ahmed among others were stopped by the police midway as they marched from KPCC office towards Raj Bhavan.

Congress leaders then staged a dharna at the place where they were stopped. Addressing the gathering, Shivakumar accused the BJP of trying to "murder" democracy by destabilizing and removing elected governments.

"We wanted to protest against it and submit a memorandum to the President through the Governor," but the Karnataka government by using police was not letting them proceed towards Raj Bhavan, he said. "Despite our being a peaceful protest, the police stopped us," he said.

Siddaramaiah, echoing similar views, said peaceful protests against injustice was the right of every citizen. Alleging that the BJP was attempting to destabilise and remove the elected government in Rajasthan as it did in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, he said the Governor's office there (Rajasthan) was being 'misused'.

The Governor was working like an agent of the central government, he charged. He said, despite repeated appeals by the Rajasthan cabinet, the Governor there had not convened the assembly session, for the floor test to take place and for Congress to prove its majority. Police subsequently detained Shivakumar and some other Congress leaders and took them to a nearby police station.

They were later released. Meanwhile, as the Congress' protest amid Covid19 pandemic did not follow social distancing norms, Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar hit out at that party's leaders. In a tweet Sudhakar said, for Congress leaders getting publicity was more important than social concerns.

Bengaluru, Aug 4 : Without mentioning any party leader's name, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar on Monday appealed to Congress workers not to make any "defamatory statement" against any political leader on social media platforms.

Taking to Twitter, Shivakumar wrote, "I appeal to Congress workers not to make defamatory statements against any political leader, on matters of health and other issues on social media platforms. It is not in our culture to wish bad for others. Congress is a party that exemplifies brotherhood and humanity."

His statement comes days after Rajya Sabha MP and AICC in-charge for Gujarat, Rajiv Satav comment where he suggested that introspection in the party should begin from the time of the United Progressive Alliance -II government.

Later, Satav took to Twitter to clarify his remarks at Thursday's meeting of the party's Upper House MPs. Satav, through a series of tweets on Saturday, said he was not comfortable discussing what goes on inside party meetings in forums outside.