Black flag protest: Hooda calls arrest of Congress workers 'black day' in democracy

Congress leaders in Haryana have sharply criticised the arrest of party workers in Gurugram for waving black flags at Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini's convoy, with the party accusing the BJP government of suppressing dissent. The protests have also triggered a political confrontation in Rewari, where a Congress leader was detained ahead of the Chief Minister's visit.

Arrests in Gurugram

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda, speaking at a press conference in Gurugram on Saturday, criticised the BJP government and the Gurugram administration for filing criminal cases under non-bailable sections and arresting Congress office-bearers and workers. Police arrested nine Congress workers, charging them with disrupting VIP security arrangements and obstructing government duty; they were released on bail. The Congress workers alleged they protested over a delay in releasing results for Gurugram University's first-year students.

Hooda described the arrest under non-bailable charges as a 'black day' in the history of democracy. "The government is attempting to suppress voices raised against its failures and anti-people policies by using police and the administration. In a democracy, it is the government's responsibility to listen to the public and the opposition, not to imprison those who dissent," he said. He added that the Congress would not tolerate this 'barbaric action' and would raise its voice on every democratic platform. Warning of intensified agitation if the arrested workers were not released and cases withdrawn, Hooda advised the Gurugram administration to take impartial and lawful action.

The protest in Gurugram occurred after Chief Minister Saini attended a District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee meeting and was on his way to a'Chaupal' programme with GenH Startup Summit 2026 at Gurugram University on Friday.

Condemnation from Congress leaders

The incident drew condemnation from senior party leaders. Congress's Haryana affairs in-charge Sanjay Dutt, in a post on X on Sunday, said: "In Gurugram, Congress workers peacefully protesting with black flags against Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini over local and student-related issues were subjected to FIRs and arrests. This is yet another blatant example of the BJP government's authoritarianism and its assault on democratic rights." Dutt alleged that reports of alleged 'third-degree torture' of arrested youth and harassment of their family members were "extremely serious and disturbing" and demanded an impartial investigation. He demanded the immediate release of all arrested workers, withdrawal of FIRs against them, and an end to the harassment of their family members.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, Congress general secretary and senior leader, also condemned the arrest, terming it "a brutal assault on democracy and the democratic right to protest by Nayab Saini's government." He linked the protests to issues such as paper leaks, job scams, and unaffordable education, saying the government "brutalises Congress leaders and workers for standing with our youth."

Detention in Rewari

The political confrontation intensified on Sunday when Rewari Rural District Congress Committee president Subhash Chhabri was detained ahead of Chief Minister Saini's visit to Bawal. Chhabri was detained while leaving the Congress office after addressing a press conference condemning the arrests in Gurugram. The police said the action was a precautionary measure ahead of the Samrasta Sammelan and Pratibha Samman Samaroh organised by the Meghwal Utthan Samiti. NSUI leader Ravi Maseet and Rewari Urban District Congress Committee president Praneen Chaudhary were also placed under house arrest.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Rao Narender Singh condemned the detention as "a blatant assault on democracy." Former minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav called the action "extremely unfortunate" and suggested reviewing the FIRs against protesting workers. Sanjay Dutt, in a post addressed to the Chief Minister, questioned whether Congress district presidents and workers would now be "similarly detained by the police in this illegal and undemocratic manner" in every district the CM visits, describing the action as evidence of "feared" and "panicked" over "growing public anger."

The state police defended the action. A senior BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the police action was not aimed at curbing the right to protest but at ensuring the CM's security protocols, citing intelligence inputs of similar planned action in Rewari.

Rao Inderjit's absence

The Rewari district saw further political development when Union Minister of State Rao Bir Singh stayed away from the Chief Minister's Bawal programme, with his office citing prior engagements. Speculation continues over differences between his camp and the state BJP leadership, recalling his public displeasure at the August 14 Partition Horrors Remembrance Day event and his absence from the May 30 event at Bawal Agriculture College.

The political confrontation has escalated tensions in Haryana, with the Congress accusing the BJP government of authoritarian behavior while the BJP defends the stern action to ensure security. The controversy also draws attention to the central ministries of the ongoing agitations between the Congress and the government over the handling of student-related protests.