HOSHIARPUR, April 24:— Commercial activity and educational institutions came to a halt in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts on Thursday in protest against the militant attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
The shutdown followed a bandh call by Hindu organisations, prompting widespread closure of markets across Hoshiarpur. Shopkeepers and traders voluntarily joined the protest.
Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena state secretary Mohan Lal ‘Lucky’ Thakur led a protest march through the main markets of Hoshiarpur.
Participants raised slogans against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and urged for a decisive response from the GOI.
Protesters appealed to the public to shut their establishments as a mark of solidarity with the victims.
Members of several Sikh organisations later joined the demonstration.
The district administration declared a holiday in all educational institutions in view of the bandh.
The protest remained peaceful, with no untoward incidents reported.
