Farmers protest against farm bills

Jubilee News Desk

Farmers and farmer leaders with support of political parties came on the roads on Friday to protest against the three contentious farm legislations which were passed by Parliament earlier this week. Several farmer organisations announced ‘Bharat Bandh’ to protest against farm bills.

Burning effigy, halting train movement, blocking roads and highways wree reported from across the country against the bills. Farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, rajasthan, and Delhi states resorted to stop train movement and also blocked traffic.

Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have extended their support to the protest, led by the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS) and Lok Sangharsh Morcha among others in Maharashtra. Members of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, led by former MP Raju Shetti, burnt copies of the bills in Kolhapur.

In Uttar Pradesh major protests is being held in Agra and Meerut. Punjab CM Amrinder Singh has appealed that peace should be maintained and protocol for covid be followed. In all 31 farmers’ associations have called for the bandh. Keeping in view the protests the Amritsar-Jaynagar clone train has been suspended by the railways for September 27.

Also 02058/02057 New Delhi-Una spl will be terminated at Chandigarh. This train wont go Uttarakhand. Police personnel in adequate strength were deployed across Punjab and Haryana to ensure law and order, officials told news agency.

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As many as 31 farmer organisations joined the call for a complete shutdown in Punjab. Some farmers gathered across several locations to disrupt vehicular movement while the others held protest marches. On Thursday, farmer unions began a three-day ‘rail roko’ protest at six different locations in the state with 1,000 to 1,500 farmers sitting on the tracks at each protest site.

Farmer groups in Haryana have urged residents to observe a bandh from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday. However, the National Highways have been exempted from the bandh call. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill were passed by the Parliament earlier this week.

Parties that have extended support to the agitation are Akali Dal, Aam Admi Party, DMK, BSP, Samajwadi Party, TMC. RJD leader Tajesvi Yadav took out a tractor rally against the bill. Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav tweeted and said the bill has been brought to benefit the corporates. The protest is likely to continue till 3 pm.