Patiala, Jun 5 (PTI) Police here on Friday resorted to lathicharge to disperse protesting Industrial Training Institute (ITI) pass outs, who were holding a dharna outside the state power corporation office.
The apprentices of the 2,600 Apprenticeship Lineman Union were protesting against recruitment rule amendments, and demanding job regularisation and the removal of mandatory written tests for assistant lineman.
They protested last month as well, between May 9 and 27; however, after the government’s assurance, they ended their dharna.
But the protest was resumed when nothing concrete followed, union leaders told reporters here.
On Friday, the police resorted to a cane charge and removed them from the protest site.
Opposition parties slammed the Bhagwant Mann government over the alleged police action.
“Strongly condemn the brutal lathi charge on peaceful protesting ITI-trained apprentices of the 2600 Apprenticeship Linemen Union in Patiala today,” Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a post on X.
The SAD chief asked why the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was refusing their demands despite making promises.
“You are not keeping your words Bhagwant Mann — doing just fake propaganda & selling lies while youth are being served lathis for demanding rightful jobs!,” Badal added.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said, “Brutally beating 2600 ITI-qualified apprenticeship youths for demanding jobs exposes the reality behind Bhagwant Mann government’s tall claims”.
“If lakhs of jobs have really been provided, as advertised through crores worth of hoardings and publicity, then why are Punjab’s educated youth forced to sit on roads in protest? “Punjab’s youth deserve employment and dignity, not police brutality,” Warring said in a post on X. PTI SUN AMJ AMJ
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.