A protest by MNREGA employees and workers demanding regularisation of services and release of pending wages turned violent in Khanna on Wednesday after police used tear gas shells and resorted to a lathicharge to stop the demonstrators from marching towards the residence of Punjab Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond.Hundreds of MNREGA employees and workers from all 23 districts and nearly 250 blocks of Punjab had gathered at Prem Bhandari Park to press for their long-pending demands. They sought regularisation of employees who have been working in the department for several years, release of pending salaries and settlement of other issues.After holding a rally, the protesters started a march towards the minister’s residence on Amloh Road. A heavy police force had already been deployed outside the residence, where barricades were erected to prevent the march from moving ahead.As the protesters attempted to cross the barricades, a confrontation broke out between them and the police. Police first tried to stop the crowd before firing tear gas shells and carrying out a lathicharge to disperse the protesters.Several protesters, including women employees, were injured during the police action. The protesters alleged that they were peacefully marching to submit their demands, but were stopped by force instead of being heard.Union leaders said that MNREGA employees had been serving the Rural Development Department for nearly 18 years but had not been regularised. They alleged that salaries had remained pending for months, pushing many workers into financial hardship. They warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to address their demands.The incident also triggered political reactions. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the state government and alleged that workers demanding their legitimate dues were met with force instead of dialogue. In a post on social media, he claimed that the protesters were peacefully chanting “Satnam Waheguru” when tear gas shells were fired at them. He said workers asking for their pending wages should not be treated like criminals and urged the government to resolve their grievances through discussion rather than force.MNREGA worker killed in road accident while returning from protestIn a separate incident, one MNREGA worker lost his life and more than a dozen others were injured while returning from the protest.According to information, the workers were travelling in a goods carrier when the vehicle was hit by another vehicle near Bija. The impact was such that it caused the vehicle to overturn.Local residents rushed to the spot, helped the injured, informed the ambulance service and shifted the victims to a nearby hospital.The deceased was identified as Sukhdev Singh.Police are investigating the circumstances that led to the accident.