Cong leaders detained in Ludhiana

Several Congress leaders were today detained when they sat on a dharna along with local jewellers on G T Road near Ladhowal here, police said.
They were supporting the demand of the jewellers protesting the imposition of one per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery, police said.
Later, those detained, including MLAs Bharat Bhushan Aashu and Surinder Dawar and DCC president Gurpit Gogi, were released, police added.
Aam Adami Party MP Bhagwant Mann, who also made an attempt to address the demonstrators, was also detained by the police.
The protestors blocked traffic on the national highway for more than one hour. Many ambulances with patients were also not allowed to move, police said.

Police used force to clear the blockade.

DCC president Gurprit Gogi said some Congress workers were said to have received injuries in the police action.
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Meanwhile, Punjab Congress strongly condemned the "unprovoked" police lathicharge on the PYC workers who were staging a "peaceful march" here on Wednesday against the government's "failure" to punish those involved in the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Behbal Kalan.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), in a statement issued here, lashed out at the "police high-handedness" in resorting to lathi-charge and water cannons to prevent the workers, led by PYC president Amarpreet Singh Lally, from moving towards Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's residence.

Lally was taken into custody by the police, along with party workers and volunteers, before they could reach Badal's residence.
The PPCC leaders demanded immediate and stringent action against the "errant" police officers responsible for the "uncalled for attack" on the PYC protestors.
PPCC leaders Hardyal Kamboj, Kuljit Nagra and Randeep Nabha termed the incident as an attempt by the police to "stifle" the voice of democracy.
Of the 1,500 PYC volunteers, around 400 were women, who were also not spared from the indiscriminate lathi-charge, they alleged.