CHANDIGARH:  Rail and road traffic were paralysed and normal life remained disrupted in Punjab on Wednesday as a complete bandh was observed in response to call given by Sant Samaj demanding arrest of dear Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh.

In parts of Haryana, complete bandh was observed and  supporters of Dera and Sikhs clashed in Fatehabad during the day-long bandh. The clash took place when Sikhs were trying to forcibly close the shops. The opposite groups one led by dera followers pelted stones on each other, reports reaching here said. The police has taken control of the situation, official sources said in the evening.

Activists of Sant Samaj a conglomerate of various Sikh organisations squatted on rail tracks near Vala village in Amritsar district during the bandh and demanded arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Thousands of passengers were stranded at Amritsar railway station as bandh supporters blocked the Garib Rath Express and forced cancellation of nine other trains including 2014 Shatabdi Express, 2460 Super Fast, 5708 Amrapali Express, 2716 Sachkhand Express, 2929 Paschim Express, 1058 Dadar Express and 2054 Jan Shatabdi, a report from Amritsar said.

The private educational institutes, business establishments remained closed  in Punjab as precautionary measure. Traffic on national highways and other roads were also disrupted at 20 places including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Fatehgarh Sahib , Phagwara and Moga, Patiala, Faridkot and Ropar.

Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex religious body of Sikhs, has decided to support the bandh call and declared today as holiday in all its religious, administrative and educational institutions.

Shops remained closed in Sirsa district and Dabwali town, which witnessed violence last week following a clash between Dera followers and Sikhs that left one person dead and several injured.  There is heavy presence of BSF and RAF personnel besides deployment of Haryana Armed Police to maintain law and order in the affected areas.

AMRITSAR: Rail and road traffic in Amritsar were severely hit by  the bandh call and it also cast a shadow on any planned celebration in the city for Prime Minister  Dr Manmohan Singh's dramatic win of Vote of Confidence in the home town of the PM.

Activists of various sikh organizations including Damdami Taksal, Sant Samaj , Buddha Dal and others sat on rail tracks  at Manawala rail crossing.  They demanded arrest of dera Sacha Sauda chief.Trucks and commercial vehicles Near Vallah grain market ere jammed.  Most of trains from Amritsar were cancelled.

All shops remained closed including chemist shops, petrol stations as well as many schools even as the  gypsy and motorcycle riding  youth in clusters  brandished sticks throughout the city . Some areas like Batala road where many small shops in narrow lanes remain open during all such calls too remained closed . Entire  whole sale and other markets wore a deserted look and  hardly anyone  was seen venturing out . even vegetable vendors kept the pushcarts out of sight for fear of being hurt by  youth carrying sword and  wielding lathis.