CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, who was detained during anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the capital on Thursday and later joined another immediately after being released, said the situation was “worse than the Emergency”.

The Left parties had given a call for a protest against the CAA and party leaders had gathered at Mandi House, before joining student protesters at Jantar Mantar, some 5km away. Some Congress activists also took part in the Left protest.

At Mandi House, Yechury was detained by police along with other Left leaders. At Jantar Mantar later, the CPM chief said the situation was “worse than the Emergency” with Internet services suspended in many areas, Metro stations closed and the crackdown on protesters.

“Today’s protests showed the determination of youngsters to not let democracy be butchered. This was not a one-off protest, such protests will continue,” Yechury said.

“The BJP is working against the legacy of Sardar Patel and citizenship cannot be based on religion.… The Citizenship (Amendment) Act is undeclared subversion of the Constitution by (Narendra) Modi and (Amit) Shah,” he added.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter to slam the prohibitory orders the government has imposed to “suppress” people’s voices.

Senior Congress leaders didn’t join the protests by the students, restricting themselves to addressing the media and taking to Twitter to castigate the government.

“This government has no right to shut down colleges, telephones & the Internet, to halt Metro trains and to impose #Section144 to suppress India’s voice & prevent peaceful protests. To do so is an insult to India’s soul,” Rahul, now on an “official” visit to South Korea, tweeted in the evening.

Sister and general secretary Priyanka also took to social media to slam the bid to force people into silence.

“The voice of a people cannot be silenced by force. Every time force is applied to dominate and rule, every time you beat and suppress, every time you push people to the wall, they will rise up stronger, their resolve will strengthen and their voice will grow louder,” she tweeted.

“Our freedom movement was proof of this, our constitution is the guarantor of it and our people are the soul of it,” she added, calling the clampdown an effort to “suppress people’s voices”.Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi called the BJP government “adamkhor” (man-eater) as he addressed a media conference.

“This is not BJP rule, it is undeclared emergency imposed in the country, which is run in the name of normalcy,” Singhvi said. “It is the same definition of normalcy that is being adopted in Kashmir.”