Four persons including three cops were today injured in a lathicharge on the violent agitators who were protesting against the alleged remarks by a priest, police said here.
About 50 agitators wielding lathis and other lethal weapons led by Mohinder Singh Hamira took out a protest march in the city markets and forced the shopkeepers to close their shops, police said.
The agitators were protesting the reported remarks of a priest against a deity at village Nadala about ten days ago, DSP Balwinder Iqbal Singh said.
When the shopkeepers resisted they allegedly attacked them and damaged more than dozen shops.
The shopkeepers in panic closed their establishments and staged a protest dharna against the hooliganism and shouted slogans against the police for allegedly acting as mute spectators, claimed Yash Mahajan, local BJP leader and president city traders' association (Beopar Mandal).
SSP Dhanpreet Kaur rushed to the spot and ordered the lathicharge to quell the violent mob who even attacked the police with lathis resulting in injuries to three cops.
A case has been registered against the agitators for rioting in the city and obstruction of police officers in discharging their duty, SSP Kaur said.
However, no arrest has been made so far, she added.
