Shimla, June 25: Police today foiled a bid by BJP workers and leaders to stage dharna at the historic ridge maidan and resorted to use of force to remove the protestors led by former chief minister P K Dhumal and state party chief Jai Krishan Sharma. The BJP workers were taken away in waiting police buses and later let off.

While police and district administration officials denied any lathi-charge, the BJP workers alleged the police resorted to unprovoked baton-charge on the activists.

The dharna was planned to protest against "failures of the government on various fronts during its 100 days rule and policies of transfers and victimisation adopted by the government. The BJP workers later squatted on the main highway to protest against the alleged lathi-charge.

He said that the police resorted to lathi-charge without any warning and about a dozen workers including state party chief Jai Krishan Sharma and former chairperson of state welfare advisory board received injuries.

Bureau Report