Panchkula chemists observe shutdown protest against raids

Chemist shops in Panchkula district remained shut today, causing inconvenience to patients and their families. The strike was in protest against recent raids conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau, which chemists claim led to the seizure of their “legally sold medicines”.

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Ritu Sharma, a resident of Sector 12, who had come to buy medicines for her ailing father, said, “I had to visit multiple medical stores, but all were closed. What will happen to patients in such a situation?” Another resident, Anil Verma, said, “My mother is a diabetic and needs her medicines daily. I had to request a neighbour to get them from Chandigarh.”

The chemist association held a press conference, “Hum dava vikreta hain, nashe ke vyapari nahi (We are medicine sellers, not drug sellers)”, urging authorities to differentiate between genuine chemists and illegal drug peddlers.