New Delhi: Bhartiya Janata Party on Thursday held protest demonstrations at various places in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh against Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's remarks on 'Hindu terror' during the recent Congress conclave in Jaipur.
In Chandigarh, party activists led by the City unit President, Sanjay Tandon raised slogans against Shinde and demanded his immediate sacking over his controversial remarks.
The protest was part of nation-wide demonstrations being held by the party against Shinde's remarks.
Police used mild force to disburse the slogan-shouting demonstrators here and also took some of the activists into preventive custody in violation of Section 144, which prohibits assembly of five or more persons.
Meanwhile, similar protests were held at some places in Punjab including Phagwara, where the BJP activists burnt Shinde's effigy to express their resentment.
Addressing the protest demonstration, Punjab BJP leader and State's Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Local Bodies, Som Parkash, and other party leaders from Phagwara termed Shinde's statement "as divisive and helpful to terrorists and their patrons in Pakistan".
Calling RSS and BJP as nationalist and patriotic bodies, they demanded that Shinde should tender public apology to the nation, withdraw his alleged "blasphemous statement" and be sacked as minister.
In Haryana, protest demonstrations were held at Ambala, Rohtak, Panchkula and other places as part of the nationwide protest.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013, 08:43