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Sudhir Suri’s killing: Bandh call evokes mixed response in Amritsar, situation peaceful
Punjab bandh call given by right wing Hindu organisations in protest against the killing of Sudhir Suri on Saturday evoked mixed response in the holy city and it remained peaceful
The Punjab bandh call given by right wing Hindu organisations in protest against the killing of Shiv Sena (Taksali) chief Sudhir Suri on Saturday evoked mixed response in the holy city and it remained peaceful. Shops and other commercial outlets remained closed in several parts of the city. The shops remained closed in central part of the city, including Hall Bazaar, Katra Jaimal Singh Bazaar. However, many shops were open in narrow markets and some other areas including Sultanwind road. After around 3 pm, many other shops were seen back to doing business.
On finding the shops open, supporters of Suri took rounds of the city to forcibly get the shops closed. The situation turned tense at Rattan Singh Chowk, where a cement store was open and Shiv Sena activists turned up there to get the store closed. The store owner refused to shut down the store. They got on the roof of the store and had guns in their hands. Finally, the police intervened into the matter and resolved the issue. Other services, including transport, remained normal. The buses, auto-rickshaws and other vehicles were plying on the road without any hassle. The bandh was observed peacefully as no untoward incident took place, as per the police which made unprecedented security arrangements in the city. No response to the bandh call was seen in other parts of Majha region, where normal life was not hit at all.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leaders protested at Jalandhar’s BMC Chowk on Saturday. The protestors also burnt down photos of Amritsar police commissioner Arun Pal Singh. Though the call for a state-wide strike was given by Hindu leaders, the strike was called off in Jalandhar due to Nagar Kirtan.
( With inputs from Yashiv Bhutani in Jalandhar)
