Congress workers led by Punjab unit general secretary and former minister Joginder Singh Mann on Friday protested against authorities for not allowing them to meet chief minister Parkash Singh Badal during his 'Sangat Darshan' programme near here.
They were detained and taken to City police station for sometime after which they were let off, police said.
The protesters marched from the residence of Mann in New Model Town and were first stopped near Vij Palace in Guru Hargobindnagar but they managed to go ahead till the old traffic light crossing on National highway 1 opposite PWD Rest House, police said.
When they insisted on proceeding towards village Mehtan, the Sangat Darshan venue, they were stopped by the police five kms away from the spot.
Irked, they sat on a dharna at the crossing along NH-1 and shouted slogans against the Punjab government.
Besides Mann, Phagwara Block (urban and rural) presidents Sanjiv Bugga and Daljit Raju were among a horde of Congress activists who were detained, police said.
However, they were let off after sometime.
Attacking the government's "high-handeness", Mann said they wanted to peacefully present a memorandum to CM for demanding, among other things, district status for Phagwara sub-division.
This sub-division is cut off from its district headquarters Kapurthala and people face great difficulty in travelling 45 kms one way to reach Kapurthala for getting their work done, he said.
"I had written to CM a week ago, seeking time during Sangat Darshan. However,I was not given any information regarding it by administration. I have represented Phagwara assembly thrice and wanted to apprise CM about its problems," Mann said.
This sub-division is cut off from its district headquarters Kapurthala and people face great difficulty in travelling 45 kms one way to reach Kapurthala for getting their work done, he said.
"I had written to CM a week ago, seeking time during Sangat Darshan. However,I was not given any information regarding it by administration. I have represented Phagwara assembly thrice and wanted to apprise CM about its problems," Mann said.
Meanwhile, police said the protesters were stopped only as a precautionary measure.