Punjab bandh sees mixed response with road blockades and school closures

A seven-hour statewide shutdown in Punjab, called by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha to demand the release of Sikh prisoners, received a mixed response on Friday morning, with scattered road blockades, market closures, and heavy police deployment across the state. The bandh, which began at 7 a.m. and was scheduled to continue until 2 p.m., saw protesters staging sit-ins on highways and at key junctions, while government offices and essential services largely remained functional.

The shutdown call, supported by several farmer unions, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and factions of the Shiromani Akali Dal, aimed to pressure authorities over the release of Sikh prisoners, including Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence for the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. Protesters argue that several prisoners, including Hawara, Balwant Singh Rajoana, and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, have completed their sentences but remain incarcerated.

The bandh followed weeks of escalating tensions, including a confrontation on August 15 at the Chandigarh-Mohali border where police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters attempting to...