Jalandhar: Normal life came to a standstill for 7 hours

Jalandhar: Everything seemed to have come to a standstill in the city on Tuesday as various Dalit organisations called for a bandh to protest against the attempt to damage the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in Amritsar. The bandh was called from 10 am to 5 pm, so grocery shops and milk bars that opened in the morning closed down a few hours later. All markets and private offices wore a deserted look. Government offices and educational institutions remained open, but attendance of staff and students was thin. All private schools and colleges remained closed and parents were informed about this through school apps and WhatsApp groups last evening. Many establishments kept their shutters down while staff continued to work inside. However, there was no public movement.

People kept moving around in the inner lanes of the city, but traffic was almost non-existent. All highways connecting nearby towns of Nakodar, Pathankot, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala were blocked by Ravidasiya and Valmiki organisations. Over 2,000 police personnel were deployed in the city and adjoining areas to ensure that the protests were handled peacefully. Youths roaming on bikes forced several offices, banks, restaurants, dhabas and liquor shops to shut down. Dharnas were organised at at least 10 places in the city, including big ones at Nakodar Chowk and Rama Mandi. Arun Sandal of Satguru Kabir Tiger Force, Vipan Sabharwal of Bhagwan Valmik Utsav Samiti were among those leading the protests.

BJP leaders led by former MP Sushil Rinku held a massive protest at Ambedkar Chowk. Like the Congress, the BJP too blamed the AAP for failing to prevent the incident in Amritsar in view of Republic Day. Rinku said, “AAP leaders are putting up pictures of Dr Ambedkar in their offices but have failed to stop the desecration of his statue. The entire leadership is camping in Delhi and has left Punjab, leading to chaos.” AAP Dalit leader and minister Mohinder Bhagat also said on Facebook that the conspiracy behind the incident will be unearthed and the matter will be investigated thoroughly. He appealed to everyone to maintain peace and not fall prey to the plans of unscrupulous elements. After 5 pm, some shops and food shops in the city opened for customers, but the number of customers was less.