With house under siege, Punjab minister protests at Raj Bhawan

Chandigarh : A senior cabinet minister had sat on a protest outside Punjab Raj Bhawan after the Chandigarh Police did not pay heed to his pleas to remove demonstrating unemployed teachers from his premises. Punjab Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema and his supporters, who sat on a protest outside parking of the Raj Bhawan (Governors House) here on Saturday, ended protest on Sunday morning. Cheema ended his sit-in after Punjab Governor and Union Territory Administrator V. P. Singh Badnore directed the police to take action against those who had laid siege at his house. Cheema was upset with the Chandigarh Police for not being able to remove a number of protesters from his official bungalow here. The protesters had entered the ministers house on Saturday afternoon. The police, following a complaint from the ministers staff, had sent its personnel but the force could not vacate the house. A miffed Cheema headed for the Raj Bhawan to protest before the Governor. Badnore, in his capacity as the Union Territory Administrator, heads the administrative set-up here, including the police. "I am shocked at the behaviour of the Chandigarh Police. If this situation can be faced by a cabinet minister, you can imagine the plight of the common people," Cheema said. It was only after the Governor called up Inspector General of Police Tejinder Luthra and directed action in the matter that Cheema ended his protest. Senior police officials were not available for comments.-Agency