India, May 20 -- Lakhs of medical shops on Wednesday across the country remained closed after a shutdown call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD). The medical shop owners are protesting against unregulated practice and deep discounting by online players.

The strike call received a mixed response even as the body claimed total support from its members.

The AIOCD is demanding action against "illegal" operations of online pharmacies. "All medical shops are closed... we are getting feedback from all our state branches that everybody is participating in this strike. We have not given stress to the nursing home pharmacies which are working there inside the hospitals," AIOCD General Secretary Rajiv Singhal was...