Punjab Bandh On October 15: What Will Remain Open And Closed?

Last Updated:October 14, 2026, 11:07 pm IST

On Wednesday, police began barricading the Barnala-Mansa road and other routes in anticipation of a large gathering. Heavy police personnel have also been requisitioned.

Punjab bandh October 15 (Image source: AFP)

Police have stepped up security in Mansa, Punjab, by putting up barricades on roads and positioning loaded tipper-trucks along the roadside after anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota was killed on Tuesday. The measures come ahead of a Punjab bandh called for October 15, with activists urging people to gather in the town.

On Wednesday, police began barricading the Barnala-Mansa road and other routes in anticipation of a large gathering. Heavy police personnel have also been requisitioned and deployed in Mansa and along the roads leading to the town.

Commuters travelling on these roads are being stopped and questioned about the purpose of their journeys. Buses have also stopped plying, with passengers at Handiaya Chowk saying they had been waiting for a long time but no buses had arrived.

Activists Call For Punjab Bandh

A day after Jhota was killed in Mansa on Tuesday, a large number of activists gathered in the town and appealed to people across Punjab to reach Mansa in support of the bandh call for October 15.

The police arrangements appear aimed at managing the expected gathering, with barricades placed on key roads and tipper-trucks kept along the roadside as a backup.

The bandh call follows Jhota’s killing and comes amid mobilisation by activists in the town. Further details about the circumstances of his death have not been provided in the information available.

Similar Security Arrangements After Gulzar Singh’s Death

The latest barricading in Mansa comes after similar arrangements were made following the death by suicide of Gulzar Singh, the father of a man addicted to drugs, at Toor Banzara village in Sangrur district on September 7.

At that time, senior BJP leaders, including state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, had to walk a considerable distance to reach Gulzar Singh’s residence because of the security arrangements.

The incident had also drawn political attention, with leaders travelling to the village.

Pargat Singh Addresses Rally In Mansa

Congress state president Pargat Singh reached Mansa on Wednesday and addressed a rally as activists gathered following Jhota’s killing.

The police have continued to strengthen security in and around the town ahead of the proposed bandh. Road barricades, checks on travellers and the positioning of loaded tipper-trucks form part of the arrangements being made in anticipation of a large gathering.

The October 15 bandh call has prompted activists to appeal to people across Punjab to assemble in Mansa following the death of the anti-drug campaigner.

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What caused the Punjab bandh and security clampdown in Mansa?

Security was heavily stepped up in Mansa following the killing of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota on Tuesday, which prompted activists to call for a state-wide bandh on October 15.

Which political parties and unions supported the October 15 Punjab bandh?

Major political groups including Congress, BJP, and SAD, along with ‘Waris Punjab De’ and various farmer unions, extended their support to the shutdown called in response to Parminder Jhota’s death.

What services and facilities were expected to remain closed during the bandh?

The joint struggle committee appealed for a complete shutdown of educational institutions like schools and colleges, transport services, and state and national highways, alongside toll plazas remaining closed or toll-free.

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About the Author

Shuddhantha PatraSenior Sub-Editor

Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As…Read More

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