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Activists, cops injured in clash during protest against farm laws in Chandigarh
Police resorted to lathicharge and water cannon as protesters broke barricades in Sector 34 to head towards the BJP office in Sector 33.
As many as eight police personnel and nearly 10 youths were injured after a protest march by over 600 activists of the Yuva Kisan Ekta turned violent in Sector 34 on Tuesday.
The activists had gathered near the Sector-34 gurdwara around 1pm to march towards the BJP office in Sector 33. They had planned to lock its main door as part of their protest against the farm laws.
But the police had set up security barricades to stop them. Trying to bulldoze their way through, the protesters broke the barricades with a tractor and jeep, and pelted the cops with stones, forcing the police to use water cannon and mild lathicharge.
Amid the melee, some protesters climbed atop the water cannon and damaged the vehicle to turn the water off, while others snatched batons from the policemen.
“They wanted to lay siege to the BJP state office Kamalam and were stopped at the barricading in Sector 34, but the protesters became violent,” a police officer said.
The clash left eight policemen injured, even as around 10 protesters also sustained injuries on the head, as their turbans came off following use of force by the police.
But, braving the lathis and water cannon, the protesters managed to reach the BJP office and raised slogans against the party.
They tried to burn an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but were stopped by the police.
A dharna followed, until senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal arrived and asked them to leave.
Though no one was arrested, a case under Sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 3 of the Damage to Public Property Act was registered at the Sector 34 police station.
