There was a complete shutdown in Phagwara on Wednesday till the time dharna was not lifted in the afternoon.
The indefinite dharna to demand the arrest of Dalit leaders allegedly involved in the Phagwara clashes was lifted on Wednesday after IG Jalandhar Zone assured protesters from the general category that action against the Dalit leaders in question would be taken within three days.
There was a complete shutdown in Phagwara on Wednesday till the time dharna was not lifted in the afternoon.
A ten-member committee of general category led by Satbir Singh Sabi, Naresh Bhardwaj, Advocate Vijay Sharma met IG Naunihal Singh on Wednesday to discuss the matter. After the meeting, Sabi came to dharna venue on Banga road and informed the protesters that IG Nuanihal Singh had assured them of action against the Harbhajan Suman and Jarnail Nangal, who were both booked after the clash.
He also said that police had assured that people of the general category who were booked in the case would not be arrested without inquiry.
According to him, the IG had also said that names of those found innocent after inquiry would be dropped from the FIR. Advocate Vijay Sharma of the General Samaj Manch also said that for the moment no action would be taken to rename Gol Chowk.
Earlier in the morning, several SAD and BJP leaders had announced that they would resign if senior leaders from their parties failed to join them in the dharna. On Tuesday evening, some Congress leaders had resigned from their posts in protest after District Congress president Joginder Mann got the approval from Punjab CM for renaming Gol Chowk as Samvidhan Chowk.
On Wednesday, BJP MLA from Phagwara Som Parkash and senior SAD Leader Jarnail Wahid reached the spot of dharna.
Also, the bookshop of a local, Raman Malhotra, which was forced to close down on Tuesday by some members of the Valmiki community was opened in the presence of SP Phagwara PS Bhandhal.