LUCKNOW, Oct. 11 -- Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai was on Saturday detained as he came out of the party office in Lucknow to visit Fatehpur to meet the family of a Dalit Hariom Valmiki, 38, a Fatehpur resident, who was mistaken for a thief and allegedly lynched in Rae Bareli on October 3.

A police force remained deployed since morning and barricades were placed on all roads around the Congress office. As soon as Rai, along with senior party leaders including Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Sitapur MP Rakesh Rathore came out, the policemen stopped their vehicle and took Rai and a few of his supporters into a bus. They were later set free.

"No one spoke on the death of the Dalit man. Mayawati kept mum over the sad incident and was bus...