Water cannons used on AAP workers trying to gherao Punjab CM's residence

Police on Saturday used water cannon to disperse AAP workers forcing their way to "gherao" the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at Siswan here in protest against frequent power cuts.

The protesting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers, led by its Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann, shouted slogans against the Congress government over the power shortage.

Police personnel were deployed in strength and multi-layered barricades were put up on the road leading to the chief minister's farmhouse.

As scores of AAP workers carrying party flags forced their way through the first layer of barricades and reached the second, police used a water cannon to disperse them.

Punjab has been reeling under an unprecedented power shortage with urban and rural areas facing long hours of load shedding amid scorching heat.

The Punjab government had already ordered reduction in timings of state government offices and reduced power supply to high energy consuming industries.

The Amarinder Singh-led government has been under fire from the opposition for not being able to provide sufficient electricity to consumers, especially to paddy growers for sowing crop.

Earlier, AAP leaders slammed the Congress government for having "failed" to provide 24-hour power to people at cheaper rates.