Punjab Bandh Today: What Will Remain Open and What Will Stay Shut Amid Statewide Shutdown Call by Qaumi Insaf Morcha
A statewide bandh will be observed in Punjab on Friday, called by the Qaumi Insaf Morcha (QIM) to press for the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences, a move likely to disrupt normal life across the state.
A statewide bandh will be observed in Punjab on Friday, called by the Qaumi Insaf Morcha (QIM) to press for the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences, a move likely to disrupt normal life across the state. The seven hour bandh will run from 7 am to 2 pm and has drawn support from several Sikh bodies and organisations, including the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Akali Dal Waris Punjab De and various Nihang organisations, raising the likelihood of widespread participation in the agitation.
What Will Stay Shut in Punjab
Commercial activity is expected to take the biggest hit during the bandh, with non-essential shops likely to remain closed for the duration. Public transport services could also be affected as supporting organisations mobilise on the ground.
What Will Remain Open
Essential services, including hospitals and medical stores, will continue to function as usual. Offices are unlikely to shut, and the Punjab government has clarified that all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, will remain open across the state. Students have been advised to check with their respective institutions before heading out. Punjab Bandh on August 21: Qaumi Insaaf Morcha Calls Shutdown, Know Why.
Why the Bandh Has Been Called
The Qaumi Insaf Morcha called the bandh demanding the release of Sikh prisoners, including Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence for the 1995 assassination of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The outfit has urged the public to join the agitation in large numbers. Harbhajan Singh Hits Back Over Punjab ‘Zombie Drug’ Video Row, Says ‘Paid Trolls Can’t Hide This Issue’.
The call for the bandh comes days after a protest on August 15 outside Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria's residence in Chandigarh turned tense, with protesters clashing with security personnel. Police later used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the crowd, and also detained Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann, who was attempting to reach the Governor's residence.
Backing the bandh, SAD (Punar Surjit) president Giani Harpreet Singh said, "Are Sikhs not residents of this country? Is Punjab not part of India? If you consider Punjab part of India, and if you also consider the Constitution is equal for all, then Sikhs should also be given equal rights."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 21, 2026 09:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
