A Congress worker died during the party's protest near the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday, with its UP unit chief Ajay Rai claiming that he died due to "police brutality".

Police said 28-year-old Prabhat Pandey, a native of Gorakhpur, was brought dead to the hospital from Congress office.

"Prabhat Pandey was brought to the Civil Hospital in Hazratganj in an unconscious condition from the Congress office. The doctors declared him brought dead," DCP (Central Lucknow) Raveena Tyagi said.

"Prima facie, according to doctors, there was no visible injury mark on his body. Apart from this, a post-mortem would be done by a panel and the process would be videographed. Accordingly further legal proceedings would be carried out," Tyagi added.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Chief Ajay Rai, in a post on X, said, "Today, while going to gherao the assembly, our young colleague Prabhat Pandey ji passed away due to police brutality." "This incident is extremely sad and condemnable. Our Congress family is hurt and angry by this accident. We will not tolerate this incident at all." "The Yogi government should give financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to the family of the deceased and a government job to one member of the family as compensation," Rai added.

The opposition party was protesting against the UP government over issues like farmer distress, unemployment, inflation, privatisation and law and order.

Barricades were set up around the UP Assembly premises to prevent Congress workers from reaching the protest site, while route diversions severely impacted traffic movement in the heart of the city.

The police citing curbs under Section 163 (power to issue an order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that are in place in Lucknow, did not allow party workers to move ahead from the party Mall Avenue office.

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