Tension erupted on a service road near Maqsudan in Jalandhar during the Punjab bandh call given by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha, after a man travelling by car to a hospital to see his wife, who was undergoing dialysis, got into a heated confrontation with members of the organisations enforcing the bandh.
The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha had called for a Punjab bandh on Friday. While the shutdown received a mixed response in several areas, members of various organisations were reportedly seen visiting markets and asking shopkeepers to close their establishments.
The service road near Maqsudan was also blocked during the bandh, leading to a confrontation when the man attempted to pass through.
According to the information available, the man told the protesters that he needed to reach the hospital as his wife was undergoing dialysis. He reportedly showed them the hospital slip and explained that he was already under considerable stress because of his wife's treatment.
The man alleged that despite showing the medical documents, he was not being allowed to proceed towards the hospital.
The situation reportedly escalated after an argument between the man and one of the protesters. The car driver claimed that the Sikh man accused him of abusing him, while he maintained that the abusive words had actually been directed at himself out of frustration.
What began as a verbal confrontation soon turned physical, with visuals from the spot showing both sides allegedly slapping each other.
The confrontation intensified further when the agitated Sikh man reportedly attempted to take a spear (barsha) from an associate and use it against the car driver. However, the associate did not hand over the weapon, preventing the situation from escalating further.
The incident created considerable commotion at the spot as more members of the Sikh organisations gathered there.
As the argument and scuffle continued, other members of the organisations intervened and managed to calm the situation. Following the intervention, the car driver was reportedly allowed to leave the area.
The incident has raised concerns over how bandh enforcement can affect people facing medical emergencies or travelling to hospitals for critical treatment.
The episode also highlights the need for protesters and bandh organisers to ensure that patients and their attendants are able to move freely during shutdowns.
While organisations may call for a bandh to draw attention to their demands, people travelling for dialysis, emergency treatment or other essential medical care can face serious difficulties when roads are blocked.
In this case, the man repeatedly cited his wife's dialysis treatment and showed hospital documents, yet the situation reportedly turned into a physical confrontation before he was eventually allowed to leave.