SRINAGAR: Police in Kashmir used force to disperse hundreds of government employees who tried to gherao the civil secretariat on Monday.
The employees were protesting against the government, saying it had failed to fulfil their demands including enhancement of retirement age from 58 years to 60.
The police used batons and water canons to keep the protesting employees away from the secretariat – the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government.
Over 100 protesters were also taken into custody.
The employees, who had struck work in response to the call given by Joint Consultative Committee for the day, assembled at Exhibition Crossing in the heart of the city and tried to march towards the nearby Secretariat, they said.
However, their attempt was scuttled by police personnel who have been deployed in strength in the area.
Two employees were injured in the lathicharge and one of them was shifted to Bones and Joint Hospital for treatment, the Press Trust of India reports.
The clash between the employees and the police badly affected normal activities and resulted in massive traffic jam in parts of the city including Srinagar-Airport road for several hours.
