The ones who had given the call of Bandh and even had gone around the town forcing other people to shut shop probably did not check their own backyard.

The business enterprises of three main leaders of the area-AISSF president Gurcharan Singh Grewal, SGPC member Harsurinder Singh Gill and member, Planning Board, and ex-MLA Bhaag Singh Mallah-remained open today even as these leaders were going around the town asking people to close their shops in support of the bandh.

Bhaag Singh Mallah, whose family owns a petrol pump on the main road, when contacted, denied owning a petrol pump altogether. When prodded further, he said, “The pump is not owned by me. It is a family business and we are a joint family, so someone else might have not closed it. I cannot say anything about it.”

Excuses notwithstanding, Mallah’s pump remained open throughout the day.

AISSF president Grewal too owns a petrol pump which opened early in the morning only to close once again around ten in the morning, only to open again at five in the evening. Grewal, a hardliner himself, is part of the group that had given the bandh call. Despite repeated attempts, Grewal could not be contacted for his comment.

The arhat crop trading shop owned by Harsurinder Singh, SGPC member, too remained open throughout the day (see pic). Singh, along with the other area leaders, had performed ardas in the memory of the 1984 riot victims at the Gurdwara Singh Sabha today morning. When contacted, he says, “Though my shop remained open, but we did not do any trading!.” Singh however could not come out with any answer when asked then what was the need to open the shop in the first place.

... contd.