A state wide call for shutdown was given by Sikh organisations in Punjab on Thursday.
Following this, schools, colleges, and government offices remained close in many areas including Bathinda, Amritsar and Moga. Police personnel have been deployed in the entire state to prevent any untoward incident. The state has been witnessing violence following the alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.
The incident is related to the stealing of the holy book and appearance of some of the burnt pages of it in front of a gurudwara in Bargadi village on Monday. Sikhs have been staging protests ever since and have been demanding the immediate arrest of the thief.