Congress leaders and activists today held a demonstration in Hyderabad in protest against the arrest of the party general secretary Rahul Gandhi by the UP Police last night when he held a protest demonstration in support of the demands of farmers.

PCC chief D Srinivas and other leaders organized the protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Gandhi Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters and condemned the arrest of Rahul. Participants in the demonstration raised slogans against the Mayawati government and also burnt her effigy.

Addressing the demonstrators, Srinivas slammed the UP Chief Minister Mayawati saying that she was behaving like a dictator. “Congress would never allow such dictatorial tendencies to continue,” he said.

Congress leaders also organized similar protests in districts and condemned the arrest of their leader Rahul Gandhi.  Mr. Rahul Gandhi, who held a demonstration supporting the farmers cause at Bhatta Parasul village in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested by the UP police last night and was later released on bail.