Bhopal, Oct 4: Police on Thursday cane-charged Congress workers and lobbed teargas shells when they tried to gherao Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence here.
Police used force to stop a large number of Congress workers, led by state unit president Kantilal Bhuria and leader of opposition Ajay Singh, when they were seen trying to break the barricades erected by police to prevent them from moving towards Chouhan's residence.
Chouhan is currently visiting US. The Congress workers had organised the protest against what they called rampant corruption, non-fulfilment of promises made by the ruling BJP and deteriorating law and order situation in Madhya Pradesh.
Police also used water canons to disperse the protesters. Congress leaders had a heated argument with the police and Bhuria and Ajay, along with scores of partymen, staged a dharna on the road to protest use of force.
Police took away former NSUI state president Rashmi Pawar when she tried to cross the barricades.
Before marching towards Chouhan's residence, Congress general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh B K Hariprasad, Union minister of state for commerce and industries Jyotiraditya Scindia and former Speaker Shriniwas Tiwari addressed a public meeting.
Earlier in the day, Scindia appealed to Congress leaders to sink factionalism and to launch a united fight against the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
"It is important for the party leaders at present to lock their personal ambitions and desires in a room and come out on the roads to stage protest against the ruling BJP in the state," Scindia had told reporters here.
