Patiala, June 6 -- Police on Friday resorted to a lathicharge to disperse apprentice linemen protesting outside Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters after they blocked both entry gates. The protesters, under the banner of the Apprenticeship Lineman Union, have been staging a sit-in since June 1, demanding regularisation of services and exemption from a proposed recruitment examination for assistant lineman posts. Union leaders alleged that around 20 protesters were injured in the police action, with several admitted to nearby hospitals. Police said force was used only after repeated appeals to clear the blocked gates went unheeded. DSP Sanjiv Singla stated that some protesters were detained and an FIR would be registered against those obstructing entry. The agitation was triggered by PSPCL's decision to recruit assistant linemen through direct recruitment. Opposition parties, including the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, condemned the police action. P2...