Police detain Bittu, Ashu, use water cannon on protesting Cong workers

The police detained MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, Congress MLAs and workers who were protesting against the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state here on Friday.

The police detained MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, Congress MLAs and workers who were protesting against the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state here on Friday.

Initially, police used water cannons in a bid to disperse the 500-strong crowd. Subsequently, they resorted to mild lathicharge. (Photo courtesy: Ravneet Singh Bittu’s Facebook page)

The police also used water cannons to disperse the protesters. The protesters wanted to give bangles to the police commissioner as the government had allegedly failed to maintain law and order in the state.

More than 500 Congress workers gathered outside the mini-secretariat around 9.30 am who were joined by Bittu, MLAs Surinder Dawar, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and district Congress chief Gurpreet Gogi among others.

A multi-tier barricading by the police made it clear that the protesters would not be allowed to enter the premises. The police were directed no to use baton on the protestors. Bittu, who was leading the protest, was stopped from crossing the barricades. The Congress workers threw bangles on the police stating that the law and order situation had gone from bad to worse in the state.

“The Akali-BJP government has failed on maintain law and order in the state. Gang wars have become the order of the day. We are presenting bangles to the police commissioner as cops have failed to check crime,” said Bittu while addressing the gathering.

The police again detained Bittu after half-an-hour, along with Ashu, Dawar and 40 others at different police stations only to be released after an hour.

Congress legislature party leader Charanjit Singh Channi left before the protesters were detained.