Congress workers clash with cops in protest
Wednesday, 25/03/2015
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=127375&boxid=57974&uid=&dat=2015-03-25
Chandigarh: Punjab Congress workers on Tuesday clashed with police in Chandigarh as the party staged a protest march towards the state Assembly against the Centre’s Land Acquisition Bill.
The party workers, led by their state chief Partap Singh Bajwa, along with Indian Youth Congress Chief Amarinder Singh Warring started marching towards Punjab Legislative Assembly to gherao the House.
Police resorted to mild force initially to disperse the protesters but later, used water canons to stop the workers to move any closer to the state Assembly, with barricades installed at places to halt their movements. Congress workers, who were shouting slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre and SAD-BJP led Punjab government, were adamant to lay a siege of the state Assembly despite prohibitory orders, police said here.
In the melee, a Congress MLA Kuljeet Singh Nagra was injured while two police officials also received minor injuries because of stones pelted by Congress workers. Several Congress leaders, including Bajwa and party’s Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, courted arrest against the Bill. Attacking the Modi-led government at the Centre and SAD-BJP government in the state, Bajwa said that the Land Acquisition Bill was against the interest of farming community and the party would not allow the NDA government to take any decision against the farmers’ interest. He said that the state unit would start a ‘jail bharo andolan’ against the “draconian law” in Punjab.
“We will soon take a decision to start jail bharo andolan from Punjab against the Land Acquisition Bill and our leaders will court arrest against this law,” Bajwa said, adding that the campaign would continue until the Land Acquisition Bill is rolled-back by the Centre.
