Bahujan Samaj Party activists today staged a demonstration against the police's alleged high-handed way of preventing a religious fair from being held at Urban Estate area here.
Led by Jarnail Nangal, a former General Secretary of the Punjab unit of BSP, the protesters marched to the office of SP Ashwani Kumar raising slogans against the ruling party leaders and police over the issue, police said.
As the protesters tried to gatecrash into the SP's office a scuffle ensued, police said, a charge which Nangal denied.
Tension erupted in Urban Estate area after a stand-off between one group led by Mayor Arun Khosla, SGPC member Sarwan Singh Kullar who opposed a fair scheduled to be held yesterday on PUDA land without permission and another group led by the BSP leader Jarnail Nangal who supported it.
Last night Nangal was taken away by police from the proposed fair site, which triggered a protest by his supporters who mistook it for his detention.
The BSP protesters demanded action against police personnel for allegedly "disrespecting" religious sentiments yesterday and manhandling Balbir Singh alias Kaka, the 'sevadar' of the area which they claim to be a "religious place".
The protesters lifted their dharna after the intervention of the SP, police said, adding the fair would be allowed after Balbir Singh today submitted an application seeking permission to hold it on September 16 and September 17 at the same place, police said.
