PHAGWARA: Kapurthala city witnessed a complete shutdown on Tuesday following a call given by various organisations of the Valmiki community, demanding the registration of a case against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former constituency in-charge Manju Rana. The bandh was observed peacefully, with markets across the city remaining closed, while essential and emergency services continued to function normally.
According to community leaders, the protest stems from an alleged incident that took place last year near Mansoorwal, where Manju Rana is accused of using objectionable and caste-related remarks against a member of the Valmiki community at a Bhagwan Valmiki temple. A complaint was submitted to the police soon after the incident, but the lack of action so far has led to growing resentment within the community.
To mobilise support for the bandh, members of various Valmiki organisations gathered in the morning at Shri Bhagwan Valmiki Shikhndi Temple. From there, a protest march was taken out through the main markets of the city, raising slogans and expressing anger over what they termed as administrative inaction. Police personnel accompanied the procession to ensure law and order.
Leaders including National Valmiki Sangharsh Morcha president Roshan Lal Sabharwal, district president of Kamleshwar Education Trust Charanjit Singh Hans, Bhagwan Valmiki Youth Sabha president Komal Sahota, and Valmiki Sangharsh Morcha youth wing president Arjan Sabharwal appealed to city residents to support the shutdown. They stated that repeated representations to administrative and police authorities seeking legal action against the AAP leader had been ignored, leaving the community with no option but to resort to a bandh.
DSP Sub-Division Sheetal Singh said that more than 125 police personnel were deployed across Kapurthala to maintain peace during the shutdown. He confirmed that medical stores, hospitals, clinics, and other emergency services remained operational throughout the day to avoid inconvenience to the public.
Valmiki community leaders reiterated their demand for the immediate registration of a case against Manju Rana and warned that if no action is taken, the protest would be intensified and expanded to the state level. They maintained that the agitation is aimed at seeking justice and safeguarding the dignity of the Scheduled Caste community thr