Cong leaders protest at Punjab CM's residence, say he refused to meet them

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and other party leaders held a protest at the CM's residential complex on Thursday, complaining that he failed to keep his appointment with them.

The Congress leaders claimed that they were called inside the CM's residence here, frisked and their mobile phones also taken away.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, however, denied that the Congress leaders were given time by him and said they held a protest in support of their party leaders facing corruption charges.

Mann was apparently referring to the arrest of former forest minister and Congress leader Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and naming of Sangat Singh Gilzian in a corruption case.

Besides Warring and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, former deputy CMs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O P Soni, former ministers Aruna Chaudhary and Bharat Bhushan Ashu were present during the protest.

Warring claimed that when they reached the CM's residence in the morning, they were made to wait for 45 minutes.

Later, they were called inside the residence, said Warring, adding that the Congress leaders were "insulted" as they were frisked and their mobile phones taken away.

The opposition leaders were later told that the CM is busy and he could meet them on Friday at 1 pm, he said.

Then Congress leaders held a protest inside the CM's residential complex and raised slogans against the Bhagwant Mann-led government.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said he never seen such a government which insulted the opposition leaders.

"Our mobiles were kept and leaders were frisked. I never faced such an insult," said Bajwa.

Later, the Chandigarh Police took all Congress leaders in a bus to a nearby police station after taking them into custody.

Chief Minister Mann said the Congressmen came to his residence without taking time and held a protest in support of their leaders facing corruption charges.

In a tweet, he said supporting those who looted Punjab is a proof that "bribery is in their blood".