Employees and pensioners protesting against the Punjab government on Sunday had a scuffle with police when they tried to march towards the residence of Punjab industries and commerce minister Sunder Sham Arora.
The protesters under the banner of Punjab UT Employees and Pensioners Joint Front alleged that they were lathicharged by the police. The officials, however, refuted the charges of cane-charge and said the protesters were only stopped from moving towards the minister’s residence.
The union members marched towards Arora’s residence on Jodhamal Road after holding a rally but the police put up barricades a few hundred metres away to stop them.
The protesters held a dharna on the road and insisted that either they be allowed to go to Arora’s house or the minister himself reach out to them to accept their memorandum. When they tried to break the barricades, they were confronted by the police. Turbans of a number of union leaders were tossed off during the scuffle.
“The demonstrators tried to push through the barricades even though they were asked to send a small delegation to meet the minister. The cops simply prevented them from mobbing the minister’s residence. No one was lathicharged,” said senior superintendent of police Navjot Singh Mahal.
{{/usCountry}}“The demonstrators tried to push through the barricades even though they were asked to send a small delegation to meet the minister. The cops simply prevented them from mobbing the minister’s residence. No one was lathicharged,” said senior superintendent of police Navjot Singh Mahal.
{{/usCountry}}Later, the union leaders issued a statement, warning a state-level agitation against the minister and the police.