Several social and political organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and BJYM, organised bandhs, “Aakrosh Sabhas” and demonstrations in Jaipur and several cities on Friday, to express anguish and condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam.

Some Muslim groups and the BJP Minorities Front also joined in the protest programmes to express solidarity with their Hindu brethren in the nation’s ongoing fight against terrorism.

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The VHP, Bajrang Dal, and Sarva Samaj Sangthan have given a call for a city bandh in Kota today, which evoked support from the Vyapar Mandal and schools that made the bandh a total success. Schools or institutions that were designated as examination centres were exempted from the bandh call. Even petrol pumps remained closed for two hours.

Likewise, bandh organised by VHP and Sarva Samaj Sangthan in many towns of Sikar district, including Sikar, Losal, Ranoli, Laxmangarh, Fatehpur, and Neem Ka Thana, also evoked a fairly good response from people. Many traders, shopkeepers in markets voluntarily kept their shutters down.

The people of the dusty tribal dominated town of Jhadol in Udaipur district also expressed their agitation and anguish over the cowardly gunning down of 26 Hindu tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday. This town too observed a bandh and expressed people’s resentment.

In Alwar, the activists of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha held a demonstration at the Hope Circus, raised anti-Pakistan slogans, and burnt the Pakistan national flag. At another location — Nanglai Square in Alwar — a group of Muslims also held a demonstration and burnt an effigy symbolising terrorism.

In the state capital here, an “Akrosh Sabha” was held, which was attended by people from different walks of life.

In the Pink City too, Muslims joined the stir in big numbers at different locations. At many mosques, they performed ‘Jumma Namaaz’ (Friday prayer) wearing black bands on their arms as a mark of protest against the terror strike in Pahalgam.

A group of Muslims led by a Shia outfit held a demonstration at the Subhash Chowk and chanted slogans against Pakistan and the menace of terrorism. They expected a befitting retaliation from the Centre to the terror strike in Kashmir.

The BJP Minorities Morcha carried out march in Ramganj Bazar and Johri Bazar and held demonstration at the Manak Chowk Chaupad, demanding the most stringent retaliatory action by the government.

India’s 140-145 crore population is rallying behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support any initiative by his government to send an appropriately strong message to Pakistan, many enthusiasts said.