Congress workers gherao minister Mahinder Bhagat's office

The protest was led by District Congress President Rajinder Beri and Jalandhar West constituency in-charge Surinder Kaur. They were taking part in a protest against the government for “misusing” state police to jail Congress worker Arshdeep Singh at Tanda in Hoshiarpur over the charges of "sacrilege of broom" last Saturday.

The police tried to stop them from reaching the protest venue and also from disintegrating the “broom” during which a scuffle-like situation also occurred. The workers said they were pushed and forced backwards during their peaceful protest. During the police barricading, a heated argument took place between Angad Dutta and SHO Division No. 5.

The Congress leaders said the Punjab Government had strayed from its priorities and was attempting to suppress political dissent through the use of police and administrative machinery. The Aam Aadmi Party government should not forget that one of its major promises to the people of Punjab was to ensure justice and punish those responsible for incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. However, instead of taking concrete action in these sensitive matters, the government is busy registering criminal cases against Congress workers over an issue related to a political party’s election symbol.

"The people of Punjab voted for justice and accountability, not for political vendetta. It is very unfortunate that instead of fulfilling its promises, the government is focused on targeting workers of the opposition party," they said. The Congress also strongly condemned the alleged brutal lathi-charge by the Punjab Police on ITI-trained lineman job aspirants who were protesting a day earlier regarding their demands.

Mahila Congress national coordinator and councillor Dr Jasleen Sethi strongly condemned the police forcefully stopping and pushing the workers during the Congress demonstration in Basti Nau. She said the Congress had come to hold a peaceful protest and to reject the case filed over the alleged desecration of the “broom”.

Angad Dutta, secretary, Punjab Youth Congress, also joined the protest along with fellow Congress workers. He said while he was moving towards the protest location, the police stopped the Youth Congress team from reaching the spot. A pushing incident also occurred between the police officials and Congress workers while they were trying to move ahead peacefully.

Speaking on the occasion, Angad Dutta said stopping Opposition workers from raising their voice was an attempt to suppress democracy. He said Congress workers would continue to stand for people’s rights and would not step back from highlighting the failures of the Punjab Government.

In Phillaur, Congress workers, led by MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, staged protest against Punjab government. Addressing the gathering, he strongly condemned the action in Tanda and termed it an example of political vendetta.