Karnal, Aug. 18 -- Ambala superintendent of police (SP) Ajit Singh Shekhawat on Monday said the authorities were ready for talks with Sikh leaders over the lathicharge and removal of protesters from the National Highway 44 on August 13. Shekhawat's verbal invitation for talks comes a week ahead of a large Sikh congregation at Gurdwara Manji Sahib in Ambala on August 25. The SP said said the protesters raised the lathicharge issue, but "they were the ones who decided to block the highway despite assuring our DSPs that they would speak to the administration after the meeting (at Panjokhara Sahib Gurdwara)". "We tried to stop them, but they pushed us and even tried to run their vehicles over cops," he said. The SP also criticised the protesters for using "kirpan" against police personnel, injuring at least nine of them. He referred to DSP (crime) Virender Sharma, who underwent a major surgery at PGIMER, Chandigarh. Meanwhile, a group of ex-policemen and kin of the injured cops met the SP, demanding action against the miscreants. Sonia Sharma, wife of the injured DSP, said, "The state must take strict action against such elements." However, Angrej Singh, general secretary of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, blamed the police for not registering an FIR against Gursimran Singh Mand. Talking to journalists in Kurukshetra, he accused Mand of hitting a biker near Gurdwara Panjokhara Sahib. htc...