Jaipur: The police had to resort to mild lathicharge when home guards decided to march towards CM's residence in Civil Lines on Monday afternoon.About 250 home guards had staged protest near Civil Lines, demanding government to regularise their services and raise their pay scale on par with police constables. The protesters decided to march towards CM house when the police told them that they didn't have the permission to breach the VVIP security arrangements.Several homeguards reached the 22 Godam and disrupted the traffic, the police had to use the force to remove the congestion."When the home guards did not make a retreat and violated the permission given to them, we had to stop a few of them and there was a mild use of force but no lathi charge ," added police commissioner Sanjay Agarwal.However, home guards refuted the police's statements and said their protest was peaceful and the police deliberately used force to quash their movement. "We have been demanding better pay scale and regularisation of our services. For several years, former goverments too paid no heed to our demands," said Ashok, one of the protesters.The protesters also threatened to sit on hunger strike if their demands were not met by the government. "There was no need for resorting to lathi charge on us as we were also helping the police in maintaining law and order. We were carrying out a peaceful march," added a protester.The police beefed up security arrangements across the Civil Lines after the protest started and called in rapid action force and anti-riot vehicles. "We could not have allowed so many people to enter into a high security zone without prior permission. We had also tried to speak to the protesters," a police official said.The protesters, later met home minister to discuss their demands. Meanwhile, congress spokesperson Archana Sharma condemned the use of force on homewards.

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