New Delhi, Jun 20 (IANS): As many as 178 Congress workers, including one MLA from Rajasthan, were detained on Monday during Congress' protest in the national capital, an official said.

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Sagar Preet Hooda, said a request was received from the Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for grant of permission to hold 'Satyagraha' at the Jantar Mantar.

The programme was part of Congress' ongoing demonstrations against the summoning of Rahul Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Subsequently, a permission was granted for a gathering of up to 1,000 party workers with certain conditions and adequate law and order arrangements were put in place at the Jantar Mantar to avert any untoward incident.

The party supporters exceeding the permitted numbers were directed to leave the area in view of the prohibitory orders in force, and the violators were detained in order to maintain law and order.

"So far, 178 party workers and leaders, including Ganesh Ghogra (MLA, Rajasthan), have been detained under Section 65 of the Delhi Police Act," Hooda said.

The Congress is not only protesting against the summoning of Rahul Gandhi by the ED, but also against the recently-introduced Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment into the armed forces.