Indian police block opposition protests over price increases

By RISHI LEKHI and SHONAL GANGULY
Associated Press

NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian police have detained dozens of lawmakers from the opposition Congress party, including key leader Rahul Gandhi, as they attempted to march to the president’s palace and prime minister’s residence to protest soaring food and fuel prices and an increase in the goods and services tax. Police also detained hundreds of party supporters inside its headquarters in New Delhi and elsewhere to prevent them from joining the protesting lawmakers, many of whom wore black.  In New Delhi, police began barricading the party headquarters and homes of party leaders on Wednesday after it announced plans to organize countrywide protests against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.