Mand’s Punjab ‘bandh’ fizzles out

Amritsar, November 23

Shutdown call made by Dhyan Singh Mand — who was made ‘Jathedar’ of Akal Takht by the recently held 'Sarbat Khalsa' — went unheeded as commercial establishments conducted their business as usual on Monday.

Reports received until early Monday afternoon indicated that business establishments and educational institutions in many other parts of the state remained open while road and rail traffic also remained normal.

Last week, Mand had called for a shutdown to protest “hegemony, autocratic and anti-Panthic attitude” of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s government. SAD (A) President Simranjit Singh Mann had also supported the shutdown.

Reports also said police detained Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) activists in several places, including Fatehgarh Sahib, as preventive measure.

A report from Phagwara said bazaars were decorated to welcome the 'nagar kirtan' on the eve of 'avtar purb' of Guru Nanak Dev.

Two leaders of SAD (A) in Phagwara and six in Hoshiarpur were arrested on Monday.

Rajinder Singh Fauji, a state executive committee member of SAD (A) and Gurdial Singh Mannawali, a senior party leader, were also picked up from their villages Narangshahpur (Nawanpind) and Mannawali in Phagwara. 

Phagwara DSP Manpreet Singh Dhillon confirmed the detention.        

Gurpurab is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism every year.

The 'nagar kirtan' will begin from Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Nimmawal Chowk, and go along the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road. — PTI