Shops closed in Shimla to protest cow slaughter

SHIMLA - Normal life was hit in this Himachal Pradesh capital Saturday as private business establishments adhered to the shutdown call by various Hindu organisations and remained closed to protest the slaughter of a cow near here.

Eyewitnesses said activists of the Bajrang Dal and other organisations staged a demonstration in the city and forced the shopkeepers to close their shops. However, there was no report of any untoward incident.

The Hindu organisations have called for a shutdown from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Violent protests erupted Friday in villages of Shimla district over the slaughter. A mosque and a few shops that were open were attacked at Nerwa, some 120 km from here.

Superintendent of Police R.M. Sharma told IANS that the situation in Shimla was under control.

“We have deployed more than 200 (extra) police personnel in Shimla to monitor the situation. Law and order will be maintained,” he said.

In the villages, however, life returned to normal Saturday.