The protest was called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which announced a 24-hour nationwide bandh from May 20 to May 21 to highlight concerns affecting the pharmaceutical and retail medicine sectors

Several medical shops and pharmacies across Maharashtra, including Mumbai, remained shut as part of the strike

The closure caused inconvenience to customers seeking medicines and healthcare supplies

Some people in Mumbai were seen searching for operational pharmacies near hospitals and residential areas

Despite the bandh, some hospital-linked pharmacies and emergency medical stores continued to remain open for urgent medical needs

The AIOCD said the protest was organised against heavy discounting and alleged unfair trade practices by online medicine platforms

Chemists and wholesalers from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad gathered at Azad Maidan to press for their demands against online medicine platforms and what they described as regulatory disparity between retail chemists and e-pharmacies