Nearly 70 protesting elementary training teachers courted arrested after a scuffle at Phase 8 in SAS Nagar on Thursday.
The police reportedly lathicharged the protesters.Those detained were released later.
The incident occurred outside Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) in Phase 8, where teachers have been protesting the Punjab government's move to cancel the recruitment of 4,901 teachers who were recruited earlier this year.
When protesters began marching towards Chandigarh, they were stopped, resulting in a scuffle between them and police personnel. The police then allegedly resorted to baton charge as a result of which two female protesters reportedly fainted.
SAS Nagar police, meanwhile, deny cane charging the protesters. Denying that that any such order was issued, sub-divisional magistrate Lakhmir Singh said, "I warned them thrice and asked them to surrender themselves to the police, but instead of cooperating, they entered into the scuffle with the police,"
Singh, adding that the protesters tents have been cleared from PSEB. Superintendent of police Harpal Singh Sandhu said the police intervened in the protest after it received several complaints of being
disturbed by the loudspeakers and the noise from patients at the Fortis Hospital.
The government had initiated the process of recruitment for 4,901 posts in rural schools in February this year. However, the recruitment was annulled after the schools, which were initially under the Zilla Parishad, were later brought under the education department.
{{/usCountry}}The government had initiated the process of recruitment for 4,901 posts in rural schools in February this year. However, the recruitment was annulled after the schools, which were initially under the Zilla Parishad, were later brought under the education department.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, AAP condemned the incident. Condemning the incident, Punjab AAP organising committee member Manjit Singh, who had addressed the rally before the incident, said,"Leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP combine have failed to establish a rule of law in the state. Why can't teachers be allowed to protest peacefully for their demands?"