Cong workers lathi-charged

KAPURTHALA, Feb 7: More than 20 Congress workers were injured today in a police lathi-charge on them as they were advancing towards Pando...

KAPURTHALA, Feb 7: More than 20 Congress workers were injured today in a police lathi-charge on them as they were advancing towards Pandori village before the arrival of Chief Minister P.S. Badal who was to lay the foundation stone of the secretariat building at Bholath subdivision.

The workers showed their injuries to the visiting media persons. Some of them were bleeding profusely.

Police arrested more than 300 Congress workers including Sukhpal Singh Khera, senior vice-president, Youth Congress as they were moving toward the site to lodge their protest against the pitiable conditions of roads in the area.

Sukhpal Singh, along with hundreds of his supporters staged a dharna in the middle of road in protest against the lathi-charge. Following this, SSP Iqbal Singh and Deputy Commissioner Usha Sharma ordered the arrest of Khera and his supporters. Cops dragged Khera to the police jeep.

Reels of photographers of reputed national dailies, who were clicking photos of the lathi-charge were pulled out of their cameras which were snatched from them. The cameras were later returned on the intervention of the SSP.

Khera before his arrest told media persons that more than three hundred leaders and workers of congress had been arrested from Bholath sub division in the early hours of this morning.

The police after arresting Khera and his supporters took them to Kartarpur and Kapurthala police stations in police vehicles.

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Addressing the public rally at Bholath after laying the foundation stone of the subdivision complex building to be constructed at the cost of Rs 5.50 crore, Badal said peace and the law and order situation would not be allowed to go out of control.

He said there was no question of the police entering the Golden Temple but clarified that about three police officials went inside the office of the SGPC yesterday to inquire about the arrangements for the proposed meeting.Badal claimed that Punjab was put back on the rails of development after installation of the Akali-BJP government.He appealed to the farmers to diversify to other businesses as farming had become unremunerative.Badal disbursed a grant of Rs 46 lakh among the panchayats.

Later he addressed public meetings at Lakhan ke Padda and Fattudhinga.Tourism Minister Jagir Kaur, Transport Minister Raghbir Singh, Technical education Minister Upinderjit Kaur, Information Minister Sewa Singh Shekhwan and MP Satnam Singh also addressed the meeting.