Qaumi Insaaf Morcha: Police resort to tear gas, water canon as protesters try to enter Chandigarh
The supporters of Qaumi Insaaf Morcha have been protesting in Mohali, near the Chandigarh border demanding the release of Bandi Singhs.
PTC News Desk: Chandigarh Police on Saturday resorted to tear gas and water canons to disperse the protesters of Qaumi Insaaf Morcha who attempted to forcibly enter Chandigarh from the Yadavindra Public School border.
The supporters of Qaumi Insaaf Morcha have been protesting in Mohali, near the Chandigarh border demanding the release of Bandi Singhs.
The protesters attempted to remove police barricades and move towards Chandigarh, following which the police used water cannons and fired tear gas shells to disperse them.
Protesters led by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha, who were marching from Mohali to the Governor House in Chandigarh, gathered near YPS Chowk. As a precaution, Chandigarh Police had sealed the border early in the morning to stop them from moving ahead.
When the crowd allegedly tried to break through the barricades using a tractor, police used water cannons. As the protesters continued to move forward, police fired tear gas shells using guns and drones to disperse the crowd.
The Morcha leaders have announced a Punjab bandh on August 21.
Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president and former MP Simranjit Singh Mann was taken into custody after he reached close to the Governor House in Chandigarh.
Earlier in the day, heavy vehicles were deployed at the Chandigarh-Mohali border, blocking movement in both the directions. DC Nishant Yadav, DGP Sargapreet Hooda and SSP Kanwardeep Kaur also reached the spot to monitor the situation.