Police personnel stand guard amid heightened security at the Chandigarh-Mohali border ahead of a 'Punjab bandh' call, in Chandigarh, on August 21, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The State-wide shutdown (bandh) called by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha on Friday (August 21, 2026) to demand the release of Sikh prisoners held in various jails across the country received a mixed response in Punjab.Normal life was disrupted in Punjab, with shops and commercial establishments remaining fully or partially closed in most rural areas. In major cities, including Patiala and Ludhiana, shops and commercial establishments were partly shut down.Protesters squatted on roads in several places, including Patiala and Mohali, disrupting vehicular traffic. As buses stayed off the roads in response to the shutdown, commuters faced problems in travelling. Heavy police deployment has been made at many places in the State, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and other parts of the State, to maintain law and order.The Qaumi Insaf Morcha is a protest movement that has been campaigning for the release of long-incarcerated Sikh prisoners (Bandi Singhs). The Morcha leaders claim that several Sikh prisoners continue to be imprisoned even though they have completed their sentences.Different organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) and Shiromani Akali Dal Waris Punjab De have extended their support to the shutdown call.Earlier, PTI had reported that essential services such as medical emergencies, travel to airports, exams and wedding ceremonies have been allowed, according to Morcha leaders.Several organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit General) and Shiromani Akali Dal Waris Punjab De have extended their support to the bandh call.Farmers' bodies like Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) have also come out in support of the shutdown, while Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher has urged people to make it a success.The Morcha has been demanding parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, favouring a 10-day parole for Hawara so that he could meet his ailing mother.Besides Hawara, the Morcha has been demanding the release of other 'Bandi Singhs', including Balwant Singh Rajoana and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar.Rajoana is a convict in the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh, while Bhullar is serving a sentence in connection with a 1993 bomb blast case in Delhi.The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has been holding a prolonged protest at Sector 52-53 in Chandigarh and the adjacent YPS Chowk in Mohali since January 7, 2023, as part of its campaign for the release of Sikh prisoners.(With PTI inputs) Published - August 21, 2026 11:31 am IST
