Chandigarh: Para-athletes of various disciplines on Monday held a protest near the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here, seeking government jobs.
They accused the AAP government of ignoring them despite the fact that the party before the state assembly polls had promised to meet their demands.
"We have won several accolades at national and international level but nothing has been done for our welfare by the state government so far," para-athlete Baljinder Singh told reporters.
He said when they had held a similar protest last year against the previous Amarinder Singh-led government, then AAP leader Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer had joined their agitation.
But now Hayer is part of the AAP government yet nothing has been done for the para-athletes so far, said Singh, who is a javelin and discus throw player.
The para-sports persons, who were carrying their medals and certificates, also lamented that the state government did not organize any sports event for para-athletes during the recently held sports event 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan' in the state.
National Students Union of India's Punjab unit chief Isherpreet Singh Sidhu also joined the protest.
He accused the AAP government of doing nothing for the welfare of para sports persons who brought laurels to the state and the country.
The players were forced to hold the protest after the state government failed to look into their demands, he said.
When the agitators held the protest near the CM's residence, police evicted them from the site and detained them briefly.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also slammed the Bhagwant Mann government for not fulfilling the demands of para-sports persons.
SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema, in a statement here, said it was shameful that Sports Minister Meet Hayer had failed to come out with a sports policy for para-athletes, besides providing jobs to them as promised.
He said the "callous" attitude of the AAP government had forced the players to hold the protest.
Cheema said the seriousness of the AAP government towards para players could be discerned from the fact that it had not held the state para games.