New Delhi: Police on Monday, December 27, lathicharged and used water cannon on and waved pistols in the air to disperse thousands of panchayat ward secretaries who had been demanding the regularisation of their jobs outside the Bihar headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Patna.Deccan Herald has reported that over 50 of the 5,000 panchayat ward secretaries who had gathered there have been injured in police action.The agitators comprised a large number of women, many of them carrying babies in laps. Protesters held that many of them were not receiving stipends on time and that the Bihar government had added insult to injury by listing fresh vacancies.“It is a clear signal that we are going to be eased out,” a protester was quoted by PTI has having said.The agitators had launched a dharna’ at Gardani Bagh nearly a fortnight ago. Opposition leaders visited the site and expressed solidarity with their cause.On Monday, the panchayat ward secretaries gathered in front of the BJP’s Birchand Patel Marg office, demanding an assurance from Samrat Chaudhary, the Panchayati Raj Minister, who belongs to the party.It is not known whether the minister was inside while the protesters were staging the demonstration.#WATCH | Bihar: Ruckus between Panchayat ward secretaries & Bihar Police witnessed outside the BJP office in Patna; many Panchayat ward secretaries had come to gherao the BJP office with their demands pic.twitter.com/mJ3DCm98C0— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2021Tempers flared up when policemen came and asked them to leave, citing that no public gathering was allowed on the street.Some of the protesters then said they will proceed towards the assembly premises, situated half a kilometre away.A scuffle ensued between the protesters and police personnel, and the latter lathicharged and fired water cannon at the protesters.Some members of the police contingent were seen running after the crowd, with pistols in hand. Police officers have said that no gunshots were fired.Kotwali police told Deccan Herald that an FIR has been registered against unknown persons.