Balmikis' supported bandh evokes mix response in Punjab

The day-long Punjab bandh call given by Mazhbi Sikhs and Balmikis to demand 50 per cent quota among Scheduled Castes evoked a mixed response in the state today.

While trading business at most places remained suspended, the educational institutions functioned normally.

"The bandh was peaceful and successful. There was no untoward incident reported from any part of the state," 'Adi Dharam Samaj Azad Bharat' chief organiser Darshan Rattan said.

He claimed shopkeepers closed their establishments completely in Amritsar, Kapurhtala, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Ludhiana and Patiala.

In view of the protest by the Balmiki Maazhbi Sikhs on GT road, the Delhi-Lahore bus was diverted via Hargobindnagar locality and Phagwara bypass for linking it with the national highway at Meham village for its onward journey, officials said.

Alleging that the Punjab Government presented a weak case on the community in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Rattan demanded the state immediately file an appeal in the Supreme Court to safeguard the interests of the Balmiki and Mazhbi Sikh communities.

Both Mazhbi Sikhs and Balmikis have a population of about 34 lakhs in Punjab.

Officials here said the Punjab chief minister had already directed the state administration to examine the possibility of filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's recent order setting aside the Government's 1975 decision to stipulate 50 per cent reservations of SCs for Mazhbi Sikhs and Balmikis.

Article Source: http://www.share.onlypunjab.com

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