Bharat Bandh against Farm Bills

New Delhi- Famers’ unions across the nation have called for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ in view of the passage of contentious farm bills in Parliament.  Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Trinamool Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal are among the 18 Opposition parties in support of the call for nationwide shutdown.

Several farmers’ organisations, including from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting against the contentious farm bills passed by Parliament earlier this week as part of a nationwide strike.

Protesting farmer organisations have blocked several national highways, including the Delhi-Amritsar highway, Delhi-Meerut highway, Karnataka-Tamil Naadu highway. Huge traffic jams have also been reported from Ayodhya-Lucknow highway.

Farmers in Punjab have also started a three-day rail blockade against the bills, squatting on tracks at many places. The farmer outfits have also decided to call an indefinite rail blockade from October 1. Amarinder Singh said the state government was fully with the farmers in their fight against the bills and no FIRs would be registered for violation of Section 144, which bars assembly of more than four people.

The Congress on Thursday supported the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by farmer organisations for Friday, saying millions of party workers stand in solidarity with the farmers’ cause and will participate in their dharnas.

The three farm bills passed by Parliament are: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance; and Farm Services Bill and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.