The Congress was on Monday denied permission to hold a protest march in Uttar Pradesh in support of the jailed Shahjahanpur law student, who has accused BJP’s Chinmayanand of rape.

Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Jitin Prasad was put under preventive custody in Shahjahanpur.

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“Congress today wanted to hold a march to highlight the plight of the Shahjahnpur rape victim but the local administration is not allowing it. Tell me how is it a violation of law? It’s unfortunate,” he told reporters.

अन्याय के विरुद्ध आवाज़ उठाना हर भारतीय का समवैधानिक अधिकार है और इसे कोई रोक नहीं सकता । आम जनता और कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ता की मंशा और संकल्प को अंग्रेज़ भी नहीं दबा पाए थे । #शाहजहाँपुर pic.twitter.com/nr58ZZ290N

— Jitin Prasada (@JitinPrasada) September 30, 2019

Party MLA Ajay Kumar Lallu was detained ahead of a planned ‘padyatra’ to show solidarity and seek justice for the Shahjahanpur victim.

Lallu, who was picked up from his hotel room, said that the police action was proof of the lack of democracy in the Yogi Adityanath regime.

“We were simply taking out a ‘padyatra’ and not disturbing peace and law and order in any manner,” he said.

The Congress was slated to take out a three-day padyatra from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow on Monday.

The march was to highlight the case of the law student who had accused former BJP Minister Chinmayanand of sexual misconduct but was herself arrested on charges of extortion.

न्याय की आवाज़ को दबाने और तानाशाही पर उतारू अजय बिष्ट सरकार। #शाहजहाँपुर#BJPBhagaoBetiBachao pic.twitter.com/gnx7yJLsCn

— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) September 30, 2019

The law student was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Wednesday morning after she confessed that she tried to extort Rs 5 crore from the former Union minister. She has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by the court.

The 23-year-old was taken to a hospital swarming with policemen for a medical examination and then arrested.

The SIT had earlier booked three of the law student’s friends after questioning them in connection with a video clip in which they were purportedly discussing extortion.

The girl had testified before a local court that Chinmayanand repeatedly raped her for over a year. She said that the accused recorded the incident on the camera and used it to blackmail her.

A local court in Shahjahanpur had sent Chinmayanand to judicial custody for 14 days on September 20.

However, the BJP leader was brought to Lucknow and admitted to SGPGIMS last Monday after he complained of chest pain and uneasiness.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have started rallying behind the law student.