Punjab bandh over Barnala lathicharge brings Amritsar to halt
Normal life was thrown out of gear across the city following a statewide bandh call by the Valmiki community.
Community members disrupted transport services, forced the closure of schools, banks, fuel stations and commercial establishments, putting thousands of commuters and residents to inconvenience.
The protesters moved through different parts of the city, asking shopkeepers and businessmen to shut their establishments in support of the bandh.
The disruption was extended to educational institutions. Several schools that had opened as usual in the morning announced an early closure.
“Around 11 am, I received a call from my daughter’s school, asking me to pick her up after the school’s closure,” said parent Varinder Sharma.
The absence of buses and auto-rickshaws left commuters with no transport options. Those on the way to the railway station were seen walking after being unable to find transport.
“The protesters should realise the hardship they are causing to locals,” said resident Joginder Kumar.
The bandh follows the alleged lathicharge on sanitation workers in Barnala on July 22.
The workers have been demanding strict action against police personnel allegedly involved in
the lathicharge incident.
To keep the situation in control, the city police made elaborate security arrangements in sensitive locations, particularly around the Bhandari Bridge, where the agitation led to traffic congestion.
Garbage crisis deepens in dist
Cleanliness in the city went for a toss following the statewide bandh. The closure of commercial hubs elicited sharp reactions from senior political leaders from Amritsar, including former Cabinet Minister of Punjab Laxmi Kanta Chawla.
Reacting to the shutdown, the BJP veteran questioned the timing of the bandh and protests that repeatedly blocked the Bhandari Bridge.
She said: “If the 2027 elections weren’t looming, these protests and blockades would not have happened. Every third day, you read or see protests disrupting normal life. Do these leaders realise that in a small city like Amritsar, crossing a 4-km stretch requires an hour of traffic jams during such protests?
“The shutdowns, protests and blockades are deeply troubling small shopkeepers, hawkers and street vendors.” Chawla added.
Meanwhile, heaps of waste could be seen in residential colonies in Ranjit Avenue, Beauty Avenue, Mehra Lane and other areas. The most affected areas were the GT Road stretch from Putlighar Chowk to Chheharta.
