BATHINDA, May 19 -- Leaders of three opposition parties - the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - staged a protest outside Punjab cabinet minister Dr Baljit Kaur's residence in Malout town of Muktsar district late on Monday night, alleging highhandedness during the civic body polls process.

The minister denied the allegations, claiming that the opposition is trying to rake up a controversy out of fear of defeat in the polls.

Led by state Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Amarinder Raja Warring, the protesters alleged that minister's personal assistant (PA), Arsh Sidhu, misbehaved with Congress leader Makhan Singh Phulewala during the scrutiny of papers for the urban local body elections.

Muktsar district...