DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Senior leadership of the Punjab BJP on Monday staged a protest against Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here over the Rajpura incident in which around a dozen party leaders were confined to a house for several hours by protesting farmers. The party workers also held protests at other places of the state including Ludhiana, Fazilka, Mansa, Amritsar and Gurdaspur. BJP leaders led by state unit chief Ashwani Sharma sat outside the official residence of Amarinder Singh here and shouted slogans against the Congress regime over the alleged deteriorating law and order situation. They slammed the Amarinder Singh-led government over the alleged rise in attacks on party leaders and members and also accused workers of the ruling Congress of attacking them "under the guise of farmers". "Governments come and go but Punjab and Punjabiyat should be saved. There should be a rule of law in the state," said Sharma. He accused the chief minister of unleashing attacks on BJP leaders and workers by 'goondas' and depriving the BJP of exercising its political rights. He blamed the CM for the present state of affairs in the state. "But our voice cannot be suppressed," said Sharma while attacking the state police chief for being "spineless". Former minister and senior BJP leader Surjit Jayani alleged that there was no law and order in the state. "Our party leaders and workers were held hostage for a whole night. Is it humanity," asked Jayani. Later, Amarinder Singh arrived at his official residence and met a delegation of BJP leaders led by Sharma. After the meeting, Sharma told reporters that they expressed concern over "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state. He said they also expressed their concern over the "attacks" on BJP leaders and workers. Sharma said the chief minister heard them and held the meeting in a conducive atmosphere. He said the CM has assured them of an action. Around a dozen BJP leaders confined to a party worker's house for nearly 12 hours by protesting farmers in Patiala's Rajpura were rescued early Monday following a Punjab and Haryana High Court order. Prior to that, a group of farmers protesting against the Centre's new agri-marketing laws had chased away local BJP leader Shanti Sapra and allegedly manhandled him as they held a protest against the party's district-level meeting at Rajpura on Sunday. Farmers have been protesting against the BJP leaders and their programmes over the Centre's three farm laws issue. (editor@dailyworld.in)