Bharat Bandh today: Farmers block highways to Punjab, Haryana

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called a 6 am-to 4 pm Bharat Bandh on Monday in support of the demand by farmers to withdraw the contentious agricultural laws.

Earlier on Monday morning, protesters were seen staging a dharna at different sections of the national highways, railway tracks and at the designated protest sites near Delhi’s borders. Protesters have also blocked key roads leading to Delhi including the Shambhu border (the Punjab-Haryana border).

"In view of the Bharat bandh call by protesting farmers, we have blocked the Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana border) till 4 pm," says a farmer

Visuals from Shambhu border pic.twitter.com/oXpvqZ9TvO

— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2021

 

Delhi police on Monday announced the closure of traffic movement from Uttar Pradesh towards Ghazipur. The Haryana Police have also asked residents to expect traffic snarls due to the protest.

“It is expected the agitating groups may sit on dharna on roads and highways and block them for some time. The national and state highways in Haryana may see some traffic disruptions for several hours,” NDTV quoted a state police spokesperson as saying.

Security has been tightened at Delhi borders to ensure that no farmers enters the capital from the three protest sites, police said.

The SKM, a collective of around 40 farmers’ union which is leading the protest, has said it will not allow traffic on the national highways and functioning of government and private offices, educational institutions and commercial establishments among others. However shops and establishments offering essential and emergency services, however, will remain open, the SKM had said.

Parties including the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Left parties while extending support to the bandh have asked their workers to participate in the strike.

Several unions including the All Indian Bank Officers’ Confederation have also supported the bandh, while urging the government to sort out the issue by having a dialogue with the farmers on their demands.

While Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has extended his support to the protesting farmers, in Uttar Pradesh BSP chief Mayawati has said her party will support a peaceful bandh. The Congress has also asked all its workers and state unit chiefs to participate in the protest. “We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws,” Congress general secretary KC Venugopal tweeted.

On Sunday BKU leader Rakesh Tikait had stressed the same, stating that farmers will keep protesting until the ‘black laws’ are lifted.

“It has been 10 months of this agitation. The government must listen with open ears that even if we have to agitate for 10 years we are ready,” he said at a farmer’s rally in Panipat.