Shopkeepers block Namdev Chowk in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, March 1
Shopkeepers of Sehdev Market dealing in scooter spare parts and Shiv Sena activists on Tuesday lodged protest against one another over the issue of holding of Shivratri langar on Tuesday.
While the activists of the Shiv Sena led by Ishan Sharma alleged that the president of the market Ashwani Malhotra had torn the posters of Shivratri programme put up by him, Malhotra on the other hand alleged that Ishan Sharma had entered his shop, ransacked it and beaten up his son late last night.
Malhotra and other shopkeepers of the market sat down along Namdev Chowk and blocked the traffic demanding action against Ishan Sharma over alleged violence. Ishan, on his part, called in some activists of the Shiv Sena and tried to give the issue a religious colour saying that the sentiments of Shiv followers had got hurt due to tearing of banners and posters.
Malhotra said: “I had called a meeting of all shopkeepers last evening to decide the exact programme for holding Shivratri langar. Even before the meeting was held, Ishan, who too has set up his office in Sehdev Market, put up banners of the programme. I told him that the entire market goes as per one plan and there should be no parallel programmes. At this, Ishan came to my shop last evening and started manhandling everyone there. He even hit my son’s face and head with silencers in the shop. He got injured and had to be hospitalised. I never tore his posters. He did it himself to give the episode a religious angle.” —
