Ahead of Delhi CM’s rally in Amritsar, unemployed PTIs detained

The police authorities remained tight-lipped on the number of persons taken into custody, while leaders of the Unemployed PTI Teachers’ Union claimed about 60 members, including union’s state president Gurlab Singh and Sippy Sharma, were held by the police

The Mansa district police detained several jobless physical training instructors (PTIs) on Wednesday apprehending that they may go to Amritsar to stage a protest where the Aam Aadmi Party supremo (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal held a political rally in the afternoon.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann during the inauguration of 'School of Eminence', in Amritsar on Wednesday. (PTI)

The police authorities remained tight-lipped on the number of persons taken into custody, while leaders of the Unemployed PTI Teachers’ Union claimed about 60 members, including union’s state president Gurlab Singh and Sippy Sharma, were held by the police.

Unemployed teachers, who have been demanding jobs in government-run educational institutes, were taken to different police stations of Mansa district. They were released in the evening after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal ended his public address after inaugurating the ambitious ‘School of Eminance’ project in Amritsar that was attended by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and others.

Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nanak Singh confirmed on Wednesday morning that several persons were detained to maintain law and order.

Union president Gurlab Singh said 646 qualified PTIs have been raising a demand with the respective government for the past several years but to no avail. “We were not creating lawlessness and the AAP government has taken an anti-people stance,” he said.