Police used water cannons to disperse Punjab BJP workers and leaders who tried to march towards the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday to gherao it against the "deteriorating" law and order in the state.
The protest led by Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was held near the party office in Chandigarh before they tried to move towards the Vidhan Sabha, which is currently in session. Some BJP workers tried to jump over the police barricades erected to stop them from reaching the Vidhan Sabha. Police then used water cannon to stop them. Later, police briefly detained some BJP leaders and workers.
During the protest, many BJP leaders alleged that divisive elements were again raising their heads after the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government came to power in the state.
Why are they protesting?
The leaders cited the recent siege of the Ajnala police station by supporters of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who carried swords and guns and clashed with the police demanding the release of one of Singh's aides. A large police force kept watch but refrained from taking any action as the preacher, often described as a Khalistan sympathiser, and other protesters stayed put at the Ajnala police station for hours.
Their protest led to a traffic jam on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway for some time. Amritpal Singh and his supporters were prevented by police at the Ajnala bus stand by erecting barricades. However, his supporters forced their way through the barricades and also managed to gain entry inside the police station after clashing with police.
Stones were also hurled in the incident. The protesters asked the police to cancel the FIR and also threatened that they would not leave the police station till Toofan Singh was released. The BJP leaders alleged inaction on part of authorities in the incident.
"There is no rule of law, jungle raj prevails in Punjab and criminals are roaming freely," said state BJP chief Sharma. He had recently written to Mann seeking an all-party meeting to discuss the "deteriorating" law and order in the state. BJP leaders and former Punjab ministers Manpreet Singh Badal and Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also took part in the protest.
(With inputs from PTI)
