Punjab bandh: Trade and industry appeal for peace

Chandigarh, Mar 27: Trade and industry bodies today appealed to the Punjab government to ensure peace in the state in the wake of various Sikh organisations giving a bandh call in view of the possible execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana.

"We want peace and tranquillity to be maintained tomorrow (in the wake of bandh call)," former Chairman of CII, Amritsar zone, Gunbir Singh said.

Several Sikh organisations have given the bandh call tomorrow in protest against the possible execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Though various industrial organisations refused to extend any support to the bandh call, many of them said that trade and industry would incur losses if the bandh is enforced.

"It (Rajoana issue) is a political matter and we do not want to get into it. If anybody wants to shut down his unit or shop, he can do so. But we are not going to direct our fellow industrialists to support the bandh call," Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertaking, General Secretary Avtar Singh said.

Punjab is well known for its garment, bicycle and auto parts manufacturing industries.

PTI