Shops and markets were forced to close in parts of Punjab on Friday morning as security forces mounted a heavy presence along the Chandigarh-Mohali border during a 'Punjab Bandh' called by the Qaumi Insaf Morcha (QIM). The seven-hour general strike, running from 7 am to 2 pm, was staged to intensify demands for the release of 'Bandi Singhs'— Sikh prisoners who relatives and campaigners argue remain incarcerated despite having served their formal prison sentences.
Police personnel, including units from the Rapid Action Force, established fortified checkpoints and barricades along key entry points between Mohali and Chandigarh to prevent potential unrest. Extensive police deployments were also stationed across major urban centres, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. Patiala Superintendent of Police Mohit Aggarwal reassured the public that the situation remained under control and that the demonstration was proceeding peacefully.
The strike caused varying degrees of disruption across the region. While train services continued to run to their normal timetables and state-run schools opened as usual, most private educational institutions elected to stay shut. Fearing potential violence or disruption, the majority of commercial traders and business owners in Chandigarh and Mohali chose to keep their doors locked until the afternoon.
The protest marks the latest escalation in a long-running campaign by the QIM, which has maintained an ongoing sit-in encampment near YPS Chowk on the border between Chandigarh and Mohali since launching its demonstration on January 7 2023.
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