Online intra-state transactions: Trade and industry announce to constitute either “lathi brigade” or “action committee to deal with situation

Ludhiana, August 9, 2012: A large number of industrialists and traders under the banner of All Industry and Trade Form and Vyopar Mandal staged a massive daylong protest dharna near Vishavkarma Chowk here today.

Protest was staged against the state government’s move to introduce online intra-state transactions from August 10 onwards. Addressing the gathering, the leaders said the trade and industry was not in a position to adopt this procedure in a hurried manner.

Speaker asked the trade and industry to get united on the issue to fight with the state government.

Senior BJP leader and former Minister for Health, Satpal Gosain even announced that he would be the first one to offer him for court arrest, if needed in the future. On the Gosain’s call, the gathering even took an oath that they would be even ready to die while fighting for the cause.

Goain termed this move of the state government as “black law”. He said he would not even seek bail if he was arrested during the ongoing movement. He emphatically said he would not assure that the whole party was with him on the issue but he would like to assure that “his all the friends” were with him on the issue.

Leading industrial leaders Badish Jindal and Narinder Bhamra asked the traders and industrialists not to go for online intra-state transactions. Jindal said either “lathi brigade” or “action committee” would be set up to deal with the situation in case an official was found harassing a trader or an industrialist. He said the trade and industry men would be circulated cell numbers for seeking help in case of emergency.

Traders’ leader Sunil Mehra said the agitation would be further intensified across Punjab in the future.

Among others, Congress MLA Surinder Dawar, DCC president Pawan Dewan, trade and industry leaders Mohinder Aggarwal, Kasturi Lal Mittal, KK Garg and Vinod K. Thapar were present.

Protestors burn effigy of the state government as a mark of protest. They also shouted slogans against the state government. Crackers were put up inside the effigy. These crackers got burnt automatically when effigy was put to fire.

Several Punjab police personnel turned up there within a few minutes of burning of effigy to ensure maintenance of law and order in the area.