(REOPENS NRG-10)

\ Meanwhile, Punjab Congress strongly condemned the\\\"unprovoked\\" police lathicharge on the PYC workers who were\staging a \\"peaceful march\\" here on Wednesday against the\government\\’s \\"failure\\" to punish those involved in the\sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Behbal Kalan.\ The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), in a\statement issued here, lashed out at the \\"police\high-handedness\\" in resorting to lathi-charge and water\cannons to prevent the workers, led by PYC president Amarpreet\Singh Lally, from moving towards Chief Minister Parkash Singh\Badal\\’s residence.\ Lally was taken into custody by the police, along with\party workers and volunteers, before they could reach Badal\\’s\residence.\ The PPCC leaders demanded immediate and stringent action\against the \\"errant\\" police officers responsible for the\\\"uncalled for attack\\" on the PYC protestors.\ PPCC leaders Hardyal Kamboj, Kuljit Nagra and Randeep\Nabha termed the incident as an attempt by the police to\\\"stifle\\" the voice of democracy.\ Of the 1,500 PYC volunteers, around 400 were women, who\were also not spared from the indiscriminate lathi-charge,\they alleged. PTI CHS\AQS\