Several trains were cancelled, highways and key roads blocked and many thousands stranded for hours on Monday as a nationwide 10-hour shutdown (Bharat Bandh) against the Centre’s three agriculture laws disrupted lives across parts of India, particularly in the north.
Thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states had gathered at Muzaffarnagar on 5 September for a ‘Kisan mahapanchayat’, organised by the SKM, and had unanimously called for a complete Bharat Bandh on 27 September against the three contentious farm laws. PTI
Several trains were cancelled, highways and key roads blocked and many thousands stranded for hours on Monday as a nationwide 10-hour shutdown against the Centre’s three agriculture laws disrupted lives across parts of India, particularly in the north. PTI
However, there were no reports of serious injuries or clashes in the 6 am to 4 pm Bharat Bandh. PTI
The Delhi-NCR region, where thousands cross borders each day was severely hit and witnessed traffic snarls. PTI
Punjab saw a complete shutdown in many places, including Moga, where farmers blocked national highways. Newly elected Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi also took to Twitter and backed the farmers in their dissent against the Union government. Twitter/@CHARANJITCHANNI
In Haryana, meanwhile, highways in Sirsa, Fatehabad and Kurukshetra were blocked. There were also reports of farmers squatting on rail tracks at a few places. PTI
Non NDA parties such as Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Left parties and Swaraj India supported the bandh. PTI
With inputs from PTI
