Valmiki Community Calls for Hoshiarpur Bandh on September 10 Following Vandalism of Dr. Ambedkar’s Statue

The Valmiki community has announced a complete shutdown of Hoshiarpur on Thursday, September 10, to protest the recent vandalism and tampering of a Dr. B.R. Ambedkar statue in Ludhiana. Addressing reporters, Valmiki leaders Rishu Aadiya, Kamal Bhatti, and other community representatives stated that the insult to Dr. Ambedkar has caused widespread outrage across the entire Dalit community. They emphasized that repeated incidents of this nature raise serious questions about the law and order situation in Punjab. The leaders noted that a deliberate conspiracy behind these occurrences cannot be ruled out, suggesting that such acts might be orchestrated to disturb peace and order in the state. They stated that the shutdown call was issued to urge the government to take immediate notice and decisive action. The community leaders appealed to local business owners and shopkeepers to keep their commercial establishments closed during the protest. They also urged the administration to cooperate with the shutdown call, warning that if any government offices, banks, or educational institutions remain open, the respective authorities and the administration will be held responsible for any untoward incidents. According to the organizers, road blockades will be enforced from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM across the region. All general traffic will be halted during these hours, though emergency services will remain exempt from the shutdown.