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Sidhu feels the heat of rising inflation

Special Correspondent

Chandigarh Police use water cannons on him and cane-charge his supporters

Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

Navjot Singh Sidhu along with BJP workers protesting against price rise in Chandigarh on Monday.

CHANDIGARH: Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday faced the wrath of the khaki brigade when the Chandigarh Police used water cannons on him and cane-charged his supporters as they tried to organise a protest against rising inflation. He along with a dozen others was detained and subsequently released.

Mr. Sidhu, who is the BJP Member of Parliament from Amritsar, set out to march from the Sector 16 cricket stadium to the Punjab Raj Bhavan to register his protest against rising prices which have had a crippling effect on the life of the common man. Flanked by the BJP’s youth wing leader Vineet Joshi, Mr. Sidhu moved ahead riding a jeep pulled by four horses when a large posse of policemen halted their march.

When Mr. Sidhu insisted on continuing with his protest and tried to proceed on foot, the police cane-charged his supporters while water cannons targeted him.

In the melee, his turban was dislodged and he was left with a handful of supporters but he made three attempts to march on till he was taken into custody. The protest march, which lasted just a few minutes, was dominated by slogan-shouting against the UPA government.

Later Mr. Sidhu sent his memorandum to the Governor demanding immediate steps to provide relief to the people.

Through a separate statement, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal strongly condemned the Chandigarh Administration’s action against peaceful protesters.

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