Partial bandh in state; tension in Ferozepur, Sangrur, Bathinda
CHANDIGARH: A partial shutdown was observed in several parts of Punjab on Tuesday while tension prevailed between protesters and traders belonging to the Dalit community in Ferozepur, Sangrur and Bathinda in response to the bandh call given against caste-based reservation in government jobs.
Most of the shops and other business establishments remained closed in Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Muktsar, Phagwara, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Faridkot. In Amritsar, the bandh call got a mixed response as some traders had their shops open. In Kapurthala and Jalandhar districts, most of the private schools were closed even as shops remained open.
Most of the shops and schools remained open in Pathankot and Ludhiana.
At Ferozepur’s Multani Gate locality, a clash took place when a group of people asked traders to shut their business establishments. When a shopkeeper expressed reluctance to do so, the two groups entered into a heated argument that turned into a clash. The two groups pelted each other with stones, with some of the, damaging motorcycles. One Manohar Kumar sustained injuries in the melee. Later, police arrived at the spot and dispersed the mob.
At Rampura Phul in Bathinda, the protesters had a heated exchange with a trader when they asked him to shut his shop. The angry protesters staged a protest outside the Rampura (city) police station and then blocked the Bathinda-Chandigarh highway for over an hour. A peaceful bandh was observed at Maur.
Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Navin Singla said a case will be registered against the protesters for blocking the highway in Rampura Phul.
In Sangrur’s Sunami Gate market, tension prevailed after a nagar council member, Vijay Lankesh, a Dalit, chose to open his shop. When the protesters tried to march towards the shop, a heavy police force led by SP (investigation) Harmeet Singh Hundal and SP (headquarters) Harinder Singh stopped them. There was sloganeering by the two groups. The police also stopped the protesters from marching towards Dalit residential areas. The protesters blocked traffic at Barnala Chowk demanding withdrawal of Centre’s review petition against the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Also, shopkeepers and leaders of some organisations along with Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party workers took out a march while raising slogans against the state and central governments.