Employees of MP power cos lathi-charged during protest

Several outsourced employees of the state-run power companies in Madhya Pradesh were lathi- charged by the police here on Sunday, during a protest held to demand their regularisation.

The police, however, said that only mild force was used to disperse the crowd as the workers' protest created a "road blockade".

The incident took place when workers were staging a dharna at the gate of Ambedkar Park on Link Road number-3, following their protest march from Chinar Park.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sanjay Sahu said the protesters had been given permission to take out a rally from Chinar Park to Ambedkar Park.

"But as there was sludge on the Ambedkar Park campus due to rains, the protesters were stopped outside the gate. Despite that, they continued to sit there, which created a road blockade for over two hours," he said.

"Since the protesters were not ready to vacate the road, police used mild force to disperse them," he added.

The protesters, however, alleged that police misbehaved with them and lathi-charged them during their "peaceful" protest.

They also claimed that several protesters sustained injuries in the lathi-charge.

"We are being removed from the jobs. The Congress had promised in its manifesto ahead of the Assembly polls that outsourced employees would be regularised. We came here to bring to the notice of Chief Minister Kamal Nath this issue. Our only demand is that we should be regularised," a protester said.