Traders forced to open shops to oppose bandh call: Panthers Party

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 7

Panthers Party president Balwant Singh Mankotia on Saturday charged the local authorities with forcing shopkeepers to open their shops on the directions of the BJP leadership in order to oppose the bandh call given by his party, which was supported by various social organisations.

Mankotia said this while he was taken into preventive custody by the police when Panthers Party activists were trying to disrupt traffic at Dogra Chowk. As most of the shops in the city were opened despite the bandh call, Mankotia alleged that since Friday evening, the authorities were intimating shopkeepers against observing a shutdown. “The authorities worked round the clock to get the shops opened because officers wanted to please BJP leaders who have been moving from one market to another to oppose the bandh call,” he said.

Earlier, party activists, who were trying to enforce the bandh, were detained by the police at Dogra Chowk.

They shouted slogans against the BJP and Union Government for ‘discriminating’ with the Jammu region. They opposed setting-up of a toll plaza at Samba, ban on the Internet and ignoring wishes and aspirations of the people of the Jammu region.

Meanwhile, in a handout issued this evening, Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh thanked the people for their cooperation and supporting the party.