CM house gherao bid: Youth, Mahila Congress workers face water cannons

Chandigarh: A Congress attempt to gherao Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini's residence on Tuesday ran into a heavy police blockade, with security personnel using water cannons to stop protesters from advancing towards the high-security zone. The march, organised by the Youth Congress and joined by Mahila Congress workers, began from the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee office and was led by Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib, Haryana Youth Congress president Nishit Kataria and working president Somil Sandhu. Anticipating the gherao, police had erected multiple barricades and deployed a large contingent along the route leading to the CM's residence. Tensions escalated when protesters attempted to move past the barricades. Police responded with water cannons to disperse the crowd, triggering sloganeering, heated exchanges and brief attempts to breach the security cordon. The protesters, however, were prevented from entering the restricted area and the march was halted well before it could reach the chief minister's residence. The agitation was called by the Youth Congress over three issues: the alleged 'shuddhikaran' controversy involving a venue linked to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge , the FIR registered against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi , and the demand for regularisation of workers employed through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN). Congress leaders accused the BJP government of suppressing democratic protest and said the use of force against workers and youth activists exposed the government's intolerance towards dissent. Chib described the protest as a challenge to what the party termed 'anti-youth' and 'anti-democratic' policies. The participation of Mahila Congress workers gave the mobilisation a broader organisational character, with the party projecting it as a coordinated campaign by different wings rather than a stand-alone Youth Congress protest. The confrontation comes amid intensifying political sparring between the BJP government and the Congress over employment, contractual workers' rights and allegations of police excesses. The Opposition has increasingly taken its campaign to the streets, particularly in the wake of the sanitation workers' agitation that dominated the recent assembly session. While Congress sought to highlight the plight of HKRN workers, the administration maintained a strong security posture, citing concerns over any attempt to approach the chief minister's residence. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in Chandigarh Stay updated with the latest Chandigarh news. Download the TOI App.