Bharat Bandh Today Live Updates: Members of the BKU protesting at Kharar on NH during Bharat Band call of SKM, in district Mohali, Punjab on Friday, 16 2024. (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)Bharat Bandh 16 Feb 2024 Highlights: A few days after the ‘Dilli Chalo’ call by farmers, a breakaway faction of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and central trade unions launched their long-announced Gramin Bharat Bandh on Friday. As the Gramin Bharat Bandh began from 6 am and will conclude at 4 pm, farmers joined massive chakka jam on main roads nationwide from 12 pm. In Punjab, most of the state and national highways will be closed for four hours. Meanwhile, buses stayed off roads in Punjab, with markets and commercial establishments remaining shut, news agency PTI reported.
Which services will be hit? SKM member Dr Darshan Pal earlier said that the supply and purchase of vegetables, and other crops will remain suspended. He said village shops, grain markets, vegetable markets, government and non-government offices, rural industrial and service sector institutions and enterprises in the private sector have been requested to remain closed. Public transport will remain off the roads as the roadways employees unions are also a part of this protest call, said Jagmohan Singh Patiala, NCC member, SKM.
Who are the KMM and the SKM? SKM are a flagship body of over 500 farmer unions under which the agitation against the now-scrapped farm laws was organised. However, it is not taking part in the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest. While SKM (non-political) is an offshoot of SKM, which was formed in July 2022 due to differences of opinion, most of the unions under KMM are also factions of the SKM.
Massive traffic jam on Akshardham-Ghazipur road due to police barricading
In view of the ongoing farmers' protest, police barricading at the Ghazipur border led to a massive traffic jam on Akshardham-Ghazipur road, news agency PTI reported.
Bharat Bandh: Buses stay off road in Punjab, farmers stage dharnas at toll plazas in Haryana
Owing to the SKM's breakaway faction's call for a Bharat Bandh on Friday, buses in Punjab stayed off the roads, while markets and commercial establishments in the stayed remained shut, news agency PTI reported. Farmers held protests across the state, blocking national highways in Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Bathinda and Jalandhar.
Meanwhile, in Haryana's Hisar district, employees working at Haryana Roadways services stayed away from work and members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) staged dharnas at several toll plazas in the state, the report further stated. The farmers also forced authorities to not charge toll tax from commuters, as per PTI.
Bharat Bandh: 50 detained in Srinagar ahead of protest in support of farmer demands
Fifty trade union leaders and activists were detained by the Srinagar police on Friday ahead of their protest supporting the demands of farmers in Lal Chowk, news agency PTI reported. This comes after a breakaway faction of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and central trade unions launched their long-announced Gramin Bharat Bandh. The leaders and activists were detained by police near Pratap Park on Residency Road as they were assembling for protests and taken to Kothibagh police station, PTI quoted officials as saying.
Watch | Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait speaks on Bharat Bandh
"The road has not been blocked, the route has been diverted. This (Grameen Bharat Bandh call) will continue till 2-3 pm. Tomorrow, monthly panchayat is in Sisoli (village in UP's Meerut) where the future course of action will be decided," says farmer leader Rakesh Tikait in Muzaffarnagar.
In Pictures | Protestors block International Airport road during Bharat bandh near Gurudwara Singh Shahidan Sohana
Bharat Bandh: BSF Paramilitary forces jawans deployed at Rohtak bus depot
Bharat Bandh by SKM recieves mixed reponse in Mohali district; several shops open in Kharar, Mohali
Bharat Bandh called by the farmer unions on Friday got a mixed response in Mohali district. Many shops were opened in towns like Kharar, Mohali, Zirakpur and Kurali.
The farmer unions gave a call of Bharat Bandh om support of their ongoing protest.
Arvind Kumar, owner of an auto repair shop at Lakhnaur area in Mohali said that some people had come in the evening on Thursday and announced that the shops should be shut.
“We came in the morning and opened our shop, nobody said anything and we are working like normal days,” he said.
In Sohana area of Mohali, a grocery shop owner said that some shopkeepers shut their shops and some opened but nobody had objected to the shopkeepers who were working.
Reports Jagdeep Singh Deep
Farmers Protest Live Updates: NH-1 near SPS Hospital in Ludhiana blocked
Farmers Protest Live Updates: Farmers take over a toll plaza, make it free for commuters
The farmer bodies have given a call to take over all toll plazas in the state from 12 noon to 3 pm on Friday to express resentment against the police lathi charge on agitating farmers who have gathered along the Punjab borders as part of their ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest.
In Pictures | Bharat Bandh: Shops closed, roads empty in Punjab's Kharar
Farmers Protest Live Updates: BKU)leader Gulbahar Rao to hold chakka jam at Bhaghauli
Bharat Bandh: Delhi Police on high alert, security beefed up
Delhi Police is on high alert and security has been tightened in the national capital in view of the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), officials said on Friday.
Traffic may be affected in the national capital with barricades put up in several areas, according to police.
The SKM has called for the 'Bharat Bandh' to press the BJP-led central government to accept farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
(PTI report)
In Pictures | Bharat Bandh hits Bhubaneshwar Railway Station
Bharat Bandh | In case of traffic congestion in Noida, the following diversions would be followed:
1. Vehicles going from 130-metre road towards Pari Chowk via Depot Roundabout will be able to reach their destination via Supertech Roundabout, Honda CL Chowk via P-03 Roundabout, IFS Villa Roundabout.
2. Vehicles going from Surajpur towards Parichowk will be able to reach their destination from Expomart roundabout via Knowledge Park via LG roundabout.
3. Vehicles going via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway via Parichowk will be able to reach their destination via Knowledge Park/Expomart Roundabout via Hindon Cut/Galgotia Cut.
4. Vehicles going from Kasna to Parichowk towards Surajpur will be able to reach their destination via a 130-metre road via Supertech roundabout from Honda CL Chowk.
5. Vehicles going from Chilla Border to Delhi will be able to reach their destination via Sector 14A flyover via Golchakkar Chowk, Sector 15, Sandeep Paper Mill Chowk, Jhundpura Chowk.
6. Vehicles going from DND border to Delhi will be able to reach their destination using the elevated via Filmcity flyover, Sector 18.
7. Vehicles going from Kalindi border to Delhi will be able to reach their destination via Mahamaya flyover to Sector 37.
8. Traffic going to Delhi using Yamuna Expressway will be able to get down from Jewar Toll towards Khurja and reach the destination via Jahangirpur.
9. The traffic going to Delhi via Sirsa, Parichowk after getting off the Peripheral Expressway will be able to reach its destination via Dadri, Dasna instead of getting down at Sirsa.
SKM bandh call: Commuters left stranded as many buses stay off roads in Punjab
Commuters in Punjab faced inconvenience on Friday as many buses stayed off the roads in response to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's call for a 'Bharat Bandh' to press the government to accept farmers' demands including a legal guarantee of MSP.
Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers' Union are supporting the Samyukta Kisan Morcha's (SKM) bandh call.
During the day, farmers will also hold demonstrations at many places in Punjab under the banner of the SKM.
Many farmer bodies including Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakunda), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), Bharatiya Kisan Union (Qadian) and Kirti Kisan Union are taking part in the bandh.
Passengers were seen waiting for buses at many bus stands to reach their respective destinations.
Mainly students and office-goers faced inconvenience because of the non-availability of buses.
(PTI report)
Bharat Bandh today: Here are the traffic diversions issued by Noida Police
Ahead of the Gramin Bharat Bandh called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and trade unions on Friday, Gautam Buddh Nagar police said intensive checking will be done by them and Delhi Police by installing barriers at all borders.
Traffic police advised that people going to Delhi should use the Metro as much as possible to avoid traffic inconvenience.
“All types of goods vehicles will be restricted on the route from Yamuna Expressway to Delhi via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and from Sirsa to Surajpur to Pari Chowk,” said police.
See full list.
Bharat Bandh: Where has chakka jam already started?
Watch| Solution through agitation not possible, says CAIT General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal on Bharat Bandh
Despite the Bharat Bandh; emergency, some other services will be running
Dr Darshan Pal, member, SKM, National Coordination Committee (NCC), said, "We will ensure passage to emergency services of ambulances, death, marriage, medical shops, newspaper supply, students going for board exams and passengers to the airport."
In Pictures| Protestors gather at Bathinda-Bhawanigarh Highway for Bharat Bandh's chakka jam
Gramin Bharat Bandh: What services are taking a hit today?
In Pictures| Gramin Bharat Bandh after-effects: Markets, buses shut down
Watch| What Kirti Kisan Union leader Karmjeet Singh says on Bharat Bandh
Among other SKM, KMM Gramin Bharat demands are
From MSPs to labour laws, here are the main SKM, KMM Gramin Bharat Bandh demands
The demands are almost the same as those of two forums of farmer unions who have given the ‘Dilli Chalo’ call.
Gramin Bharat Bandh: From when and who
While the Gramin Bharat Bandh will run from 6 am to 4 pm, farmers will join a massive chakka jam on main roads nationwide from 12 pm to 4 pm. In Punjab, most of the state and national highways will be closed for four hours.
Amidst the February 13 ‘Dilli Chalo’ call by a breakaway faction of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), the SKM and central trade launched their long-announced Gramin Bharat Bandh today for.
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