Chandigarh witnessed a high-voltage political protest on Tuesday as Punjab Congress leaders and workers took to the streets against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Police used water cannons to disperse protesters who attempted to move towards Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence and breach barricades.
The demonstration was led by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. Congress workers gathered outside the party office, raised slogans against the Mann government and burnt an effigy of the chief minister. A large police contingent was deployed in the area as the protesters prepared to march towards the CM’s residence.
The protest was organised over several issues that the Congress has been raising against the state government, particularly the alleged drug menace and what the party described as a deterioration in law and order. Warring accused the AAP government of failing to control the situation in Punjab and alleged that the state’s law and order machinery had “collapsed”.
Congress leaders also criticised the state government over its financial position and alleged heavy borrowing. Warring attacked the AAP government’s much-publicised “Sikhya Kranti”, calling it a failure. The party used the protest to highlight what it described as growing public concerns over governance in Punjab.
As the march progressed, Chandigarh Police stopped the protesters with barricades. Congress leaders and workers carrying placards tried to push past the security cordon and move ahead. When the protesters attempted to breach the barricades, police deployed water cannons, forcing a large number of demonstrators to retreat.
Several senior Congress leaders were present during the demonstration, including Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujla, former Punjab minister Balbir Singh Sidhu and former MLAs Rana KP Singh and Raj Kumar Verka. Their presence added weight to the party’s show of strength against the state government.
The protest also caused disruption around parts of Chandigarh as the large gathering moved towards the CM’s residence. Police maintained heavy security and prevented the demonstrators from reaching their intended destination. Reports said some protesters were subsequently taken into custody and moved away from the protest site.
The confrontation marks another escalation in the political battle between the Punjab Congress and the AAP government, with the opposition continuing to target the Mann administration over governance, law and order and other public issues.
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