Jaipur, Jun 13 (IANS): Senior BJP leaders were detained and taken to the Vidhyadhar Nagar police station after they held a protest demonstration against the Rajasthan government and tried to gherao the secretariat, here on Tuesday.

The detained leaders include state BJP President C.P. Joshi and Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, among others.

The police used water cannons to disperse the BJP cadres marching towards the secretariat.

After gathering at the BJP headquarters here, hundreds of leaders and party workers tried to break the barricades put up by the police and march towards the secretariat. However, the police stopped them near the Statue Circle.

The protesters raised slogans against the Congress government and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Earlier, Rajendra Rathore attacked the Congress government and claimed that it will not go away, but will be deleted.

He said there was a time when it was said that inform about a smallpox patient and get Rs 10,000. Now a time will come when it will be said that inform the whereabouts of a Congress MLA and get Rs 1 lakh in return.

BJP MLA Ashok Lahoti said, "Earlier, the government had announced to give mobile phones to women. Now it is saying that it will put money in their accounts, and women should buy cellphones themselves. I want to tell the women that let the money come into the account first, only then they should buy phones."

"This government does not have any money," he added.

State BJP in-charge Arun Singh claimed that corruption has increased by 22 per cent in state in the last three years, and all postings are being done through corrupt practices.