19:42
Police use water cannons to disperse Quami Insaaf Morcha protesters in Chandigarh on Saturday./ANI Photo
Chandigarh police on Saturday used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse protesters who tried to breach barricades during a march towards Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria's residence, seeking the release of Sikh prisoners, including Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995.
Some protesters attempted to remove barricades and barbed wire and some others tried to pull them down using a tractor as they attempted to proceed towards the residence of the Punjab Governor at the Lok Bhavan in Chandigarh.
Police fired several rounds of tear gas and used water cannons to disperse them, amid the tense situation. Police also dropped teargas shells on the protesters by deploying a drone.
Meanwhile, the Qaumi Insaf Morcha gave a call for 'Punjab Bandh' on August 21 to press for the release of Sikh prisoners and urged people to support the shutdown.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann was detained by Chandigarh police when he, along with two more persons, was trying to reach the residence of the Punjab Governor. Mann, who was seen in bandages on his head, reached near a barricade and then sat down. Later police took him away in a vehicle. -- PTI
