As a preventive measure, ahead of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal's visit to the Bholath constituency, the district police took former Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira and his supporters into custody on Tuesday. They were detained at the Sadar police station, till the CM stayed in the constituency.

The CM was in the constituency to launch several infrastructure projects in the region. On Monday, Khaira had said that he would stage a sit-in outside the Bholath SDM's office, against increasing criminalisation of politics.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of Congress workers gathered at his native village, Ramgarh, to join him in the proposed protest. However, all of them taken into police custody by 12 noon.

"It is the murder of democracy. We were supposed to sit on a peaceful dharna on the issue of the criminalisation of politics. However, the government has used its might and has proved that no one can express their views under the SAD regime," Khaira said.

"Law and order in the state is under threat. By sharing the dais with a convicted criminal, Bibi Jagir Kaur, the CM has given a wrong signal to the youth." The district police released all workers by the evening.