Patiala, June 7 -- A day after a police lathicharge on protesting apprentice linemen outside the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) headquarters left over 20 people injured, Patiala police on Saturday justified its action, claiming the protesters had blocked the entry and exit gates of the power utility's office complex, preventing hundreds of employees from leaving the premises. The police action triggered a political storm, with opposition parties, employee unions and social organisations condemning the use of force and demanding accountability from the officials involved. Following the incident, Patiala police registered a first information report (FIR) against the protesters under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to wrongful confinement, obstruction of public servants in the discharge of official duties, unlawful assembly and rioting. The apprentice linemen had been protesting outside the PSPCL head office for the past five days, demanding preference in recruitment and absorption into regular service. The agitation began after the PSPCL announced recruitment for hundreds of assistant lineman posts without making apprenticeship training a mandatory qualification. The protesting apprentices argued that they had cleared the written examination and completed apprenticeship training with the expectation that it would improve their chances of securing permanent employment in the power utility. They have been demanding that trained apprentices be given priority in the recruitment process. According to police officials, the situation escalated on Friday evening when protesters allegedly blocked both gates of the PSPCL headquarters, preventing employees from entering or leaving the office complex. Patiala superintendent of police Palwinder Singh Cheema said several employees remained stranded on the PSPCL premises after office hours, including a pregnant woman employee. The SP said they made repeated requests to the protesters to clear the gates and allow employees to move freely. However, when the demonstrators allegedly refused to comply, the administration decided to intervene. Senior police officers maintained that the use of force was not arbitrary and was carried out only after obtaining approval from the duty magistrate. They further stated that they issued multiple warnings through public address systems, asking the protesters to disperse peacefully before taking any action. Defending the police action, Patiala Rural MLA health and health minister Dr Balbir Singh said that while peaceful protest is the democratic right of every citizen, protesters cannot cause inconvenience to others by blocking roads or the gates of government offices. The Punjab government was already in talks with the protesters and efforts were being made to resolve their concerns through dialogue. Despite these claims, the apprentice linemen accused the police of resorting to excessive force against what they described as a peaceful protest. More than 20 protesters sustained injuries during the lathicharge, with several requiring hospitalisation. A number of injured protesters are currently undergoing treatment at Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala. Apprenticeship Lineman Union president Surinder Singh Jalalabad condemned the police action and vowed to continue the agitation. "We will continue our protest until our demands are met. We also demand the suspension of police officials responsible for using excessive force against us," he said. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders across party lines. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring visited the injured protesters and demanded strict action against the police personnel involved in the lathicharge. "This police action amounts to a violation of human rights. An FIR should be registered against the police officials responsible, including senior officers," Warring said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also condemned the incident. Punjab BJP Mahila Morcha president Jai Inder Kaur visited injured protesters at Rajindra Hospital and announced that she would submit a memorandum to Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria, seeking strict action against officials allegedly responsible for the excesses committed against the unarmed youth. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member and vice-chairperson of the Central Apprenticeship Council Vikramjit Singh Sahney expressed solidarity with the protesting apprentices and criticised the lathicharge. Supporting their demand for employment opportunities, Sahney said his NGO, Sun Foundation, was prepared to facilitate industrial placements for all 2,600 apprentice linemen across Punjab. He stated that while the apprentices' demand for recruitment in PSPCL was justified, alternative employment opportunities should also be explored to ensure that trained youth are not left without jobs....