Bharat Bandh highlights: The 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest at border points in New Delhi has entered the 13th day today. The nationwide strike- 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions to protest Centre’s three farm laws received widespread support across the country today. Opposition parties and many other trade organisations held symbolic protests in support of the strike from 11 am to 3 pm. The Delhi-Meerut Expressway in the capital was closed affecting the traffic movement between Delhi and UP. As many as 15 opposition parties have backed the Bandh that comes a day before Centre’s sixth round of talks with farmer union leaders. Protesters blocked railway tracks at several places in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Odisha. In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that he was put under house arrest, a claim that Delhi Police refuted. The Centre had asked all states and Union Territories to tighten security and ensure that peace and tranquility is maintained during the Bandh. The Centre and the leaders of protesting farmers' groups have held three round of talks, but no breakthrough has been achieved. The next round of talks is scheduled to be held on December 9. Leaders of farmer unions have so far rejected the Centre's offer of setting up a new committee to look into issues raised by agitating farmers. Farmers said that the protest will continue until their demands are met and the contentious laws are scrapped. They fear that the new farm laws will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system and corporatise farming. Stay tuned to this LIVE blog for all the latest updates.
With Union Home Minister Amit Shah stepped in to call farmer leaders for talks ahead of the sixth round of talks between Central ministers and farmer representatives on December 9,All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah informed that no meeting will be held between farmers and Union government.He further added that farmers will hold a meeting at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) at 12 pm on Wednesday.
Arvind Kejriwal addresses AAP workers; says would have gone to support farmers if was not stopped
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday addressed AAP members from his residence here and said he would have gone to support the protesting farmers in their Bharat Bandh movement if he was not stopped.
After hours of drama outside Kejriwal's residence over him allegedly being put under house arrest by Delhi Police, the chief minister came outside and addressed the party members.
"If I was not stopped, I would have gone and supported the protesting farmers in their Bharat Bandh movement. I am glad that Bharat Bandh was a success. I prayed for the protesting farmers while sitting inside," Kejriwal said.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the unity showcased by the farmers through the 'Bharat Bandh' has underscored the need for a repeal of the farm laws.
He reiterated that the farm legislations were anti-farmer and introduced without any discussion with the stakeholders. On farmers' call, the 'Bharat Bandh', in protest against the Centre's three farm laws, was observed in Punjab, Haryana and other states on Tuesday.
Singh asked why the Centre could not heed the demands of the farmers, agitating across the country, to scrap these laws and hold fresh talks with all stakeholders.
Asserting that the "whole country was with the farmers in their pain and in their fight for survival", Singh said the Centre should allow the existing system to continue instead of scrapping the 'arthiya' (commission agent) and mandi system, as the farm laws were designed to do.
Normal life was disrupted in Odisha on Tuesday as Congress and Left supporters blocked roads and railway tracks along with trade unionists to enforce the nationwide shutdown, called by farmers' unions seeking repeal of three new farm laws.
Vehicular movement came to a halt with the supporters of the 'Bharat Bandh' blocking highways and major roads, and staging demonstrations holding placards and banners.
Train services were also affected as activists of farmers' organisations, trade unions and political parties held sit-ins on railway tracks in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Balasore, leaving passengers stranded for long hours.
Had parliamentary proceedings been followed, the situation would have not arisen. Opposition's views were not considered and laws were made in haste without consulting stakeholders.
Major cities in Chhattisgarh wore a deserted look on Tuesday morning with most business establishments remaining closed as part of the `Bharat Bandh' called by farmers against the Centre's new agriculture laws.
The opposition BJP, however, accused the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government of enforcing an "administrative shutdown".
Almost all business establishments, except some medicine stores, remained closed till 2 pm while public transport vehicles were off the roads in several cities, including Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon.
Lawyers held peaceful protests at various district court complexes in the national capital on Tuesday in support of farmers' agitation against the new farm laws.
While lawyers at Karkardooma district courts held a protest march raising slogans to take back the laws, lawyers at Tis Hazari district courts held a meeting in solidarity with the farmers and put forward certain demands on their behalf.
At the Tis Hazari protest meeting, advocate Rajiv Khosla, Chief Coordinator of the Action Committee of the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), said the government should put a condition in the farm laws that private companies pay 5 percent above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farm produce, and in case of default they may be subjected to criminal action ranging from 3-5 year punishment, said a statement.
According to the statement issued jointly by the BCD and the Coordination Committee of all district courts bar association in Delhi, Khosla said the action committee of lawyers would soon give a call for all India agitation in case the demands were not met and soon fix a date for it after consulting with several state Bar councils and Bar associations.
I had planned that today I would go to the border not as CM but as a common man to express my solidarity with the farmers. I think they came to know about my plan and they did not let me go.
Farmers will demand just a "yes or no" to their demands when they meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, their leaders said on Tuesday while claiming their 'Bharat Bandh' against the new farm laws is "successful" and had impact in 25 states.
A group of farmer leaders will meet Shah on Tuesday evening, a day before their sixth round of talks with Union ministers slated for Wednesday.
"There is no midway. We will demand just 'yes' or 'no' from Home Minister Amit Shah at today's meeting," farmer leader Rudru Singh Mansa said at a press conference at the Singhu border.
Another leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni said the 'Bharat Bandh' is successful and the Central government now knows it doesn't have a way out.
Social media was abuzz on Tuesday with messages of solidarity with the agitating farmers on 'Bharat Bandh' day as netizens made ploughs, tractors, crops and 'Kisan' trend on Twitter in support of the protesters' demands.
A nationwide agitation was held on the call of 'December 8 Kisan Mahaandolan' as protesting farmers vociferously reiterated their demand of repealing the new farm laws, which they have termed as "kala kanoon".
As the agitation picked up in the morning, the hashtag #Aaj_Bharat_Bandh_Hai was trending till late afternoon.Other hashtags widely used by the netizens were #TractorToTwitter, #IStandWithFarmers, #Kisan, #FarmersProtest and #NoFarmersNoFood.
A clash broke out between Congress and BJP workers in Jaipur during Tuesday's 'Bharat Bandh', which evoked a mixed response in Rajasthan where mandis were closed but shops in several places remained open.
Markets and business activities were partially affected at other places such as Kota, Jodhpur and Bikaner. Shops in a few towns in Bundi, Baran and Jhalawar were closed to support the farmer unions' call for a nationwide strike against the Centre's agri laws, while others were open as usual.
Roadways buses, trucks and mini buses did not ply, but auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws were seen on the roads.
