The Congress, a key constituent of the INDIA bloc, stayed away from the protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday, with its top leaders limiting themselves to criticising the government through social media posts.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning the “mother of democracy” into a “muzzled democracy”. In a post on X, Kharge also accused the BJP and the RSS of displaying cowardice by detaining protesters.“Our youth, students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farm union leaders, YouTubers, content creators, everyone who is questioning this regime is being detained,” he said.Kharge asserted that arrests, detentions and the use of force would not deter people from raising their voices against the government. Recalling the role of young people in India’s freedom struggle, he said they had consistently been at the forefront of shaping the country’s destiny.“The Congress, along with the united Opposition, will fight this tyrannical regime tooth and nail,” the Congress chief said, adding that the party would continue its struggle to defend democracy, the Constitution and the fundamental rights of citizens.Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who is in Chennai for Chhatron Ki Goonj, said Gyanesh Kumar would go, as would the Modi government, after which “the repair of democracy will begin”. In a post on X, he also shared a video clip of his speech to INDIA bloc MPs in Parliament’s Central Hall on Friday.Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the Modi government over the detention of Opposition MPs and protesters, accusing the Centre of suppressing dissent and alleging collusion between the government and the Election Commission to manipulate elections.In a post on X, the Wayanad MP alleged that 254 MPs had been roughed up and illegally detained in violation of their constitutional rights. She claimed that protesters from other Opposition parties had faced similar treatment, while young men and women exercising their constitutional right to protest were beaten and detained.Taking aim at the security restrictions imposed in the national capital amid the protests, she alleged: “Then they lay siege to the national capital, barricading it and sealing it on all sides, stopping trains and metros, cutting the internet and placing check-posts all over. They bash up and detain young men and women exercising their constitutional right to protest.”“If this isn’t proof that they have cheated in the elections with the collusion of the EC, and are terrified that the illegitimacy of their government is being exposed and accountability is being demanded, then what is?” she said.Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of undermining democratic institutions, Priyanka said India was no longer a democracy but a “dictatorship” under their leadership.