Tensions flare at Chaura Baazar after shopkeepers clash with vendors

High drama unfolded at Pink Plaza in Chaura Baazar on Wednesday as local shopkeepers staged a protest, demanding the removal of vendors whose makeshift stalls, they claim, are affecting their businesses.

Rubal Dhall, one of the protesting shopkeepers, voiced his frustration: “We’ve invested crores into these shops, yet our businesses are suffering. These vendors set up shop right outside Pink Plaza, blocking access to our establishments, drawing away customers.” His words echoed the growing resentment among traders who say their livelihoods are being undermined by unchecked encroachments.

The protestors called for immediate action to vacate illegally occupied spaces and clear unauthorised stalls from the market. Ravinder Pal Singh, another shopkeeper, said, “This isn’t just about one shop—everyone in the market is incurring losses. We’ve raised this issue before, staged dharnas in the past, but nothing has changed.”

As tensions escalated, members of the Rehri Pheri Association arrived at the scene, standing firm and refusing to let anyone touch their belongings. The confrontation drew the attention of Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar, who stepped in to mediate. “I will look into the matter thoroughly,” he assured both parties. “Action will be taken accordingly.”

The standoff at Chaura Bazaar reflects a deeper struggle over space, survival and the right to earn—a conflict that continues to simmer beneath the surface of Ludhiana’s bustling commercial heart.