Police use water cannon, lob tear gas shells to disperse AAP workers in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: Police on Thursday used a water cannon and hurled tear gas shells to disperse AAP workers who were trying to force their way through barricades to 'gherao' the office of Punjab BJP here in protest against the arrest of party leader Sanjay Singh.

Police also used batons against the Aam Aadmi Party workers, who set on fire an effigy decrying the arrest of their leader.

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh's home in connection with a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy and later arrested him.

Barricades were raised to prevent AAP leaders and volunteers from heading towards the Punjab BJP office.

When the protesters, several of them senior leaders in the party, tried to force their way through barricades, police used a water cannon and lobbed teargas shells to scatter them.

Earlier speaking to reporters, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema slammed the BJP-led central government over Sanjay Singh's arrest, alleging that it was trying to suppress the voice of the opposition by misusing the investigating agencies.

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann alleged that it has become the nature of the Prime Minister to use the ED to intimidate the opposition leaders.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday called Singh's arrest "completely illegal" and predicted that more opposition leaders will be arrested in the run-up to the 2024 parliamentary elections.

Kejriwal termed the ED raids at Singh's residence the "last desperate attempt" of a party that is staring at defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.