Ferozepur road blocked as part of Bharat Bandh in Ludhiana. (Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)Bharat Bandh Today Highlights: The protesting farmers during the ongoing nation-wide strike or Bharat Bandh are sitting across 32 locations in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana— blocking roads, rail routes, and highways. The blockades have affected rail movement, with trains coming to a halt; four Shatabdi trains have been canceled so far.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of farmers’ unions, have called for a nationwide strike in protest against the three recently passed farm laws. The strike, which began at 6 am, will extend until 6 pm, the union said.
The protest is being observed on March 26 to mark four months since the farmers’ agitation first began in November. “The peaceful bandh will remain effective from morning till evening,” farmer leader Buta Singh Burjgill said.
In view of today’s Bharat Bandh, farmers have blocked the Delhi-Ghazipur border; the traffic police have cautioned travellers to avoid the route. Protesters in Ambala have blocked the GT road and the railway track near Shahpur.
During the strike, all business establishments will remain closed and no road and rail traffic will be allowed to ply, the farmers’ unions announced.
This is the second nationwide strike announced by farmers. The first Bharat Bandh took place on December 8, during which establishments shut down in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Assam.
The Railways on Friday said except in some locations in Punjab and Haryana, the Bharat Bandh called by farmer unions protesting the Central agri laws had "almost zero impact" on rail services across the country.
In the morning, protestors had squatted on railway tracks at 44 locations across the two states which led to four Shatabdi trains being cancelled, 35 other passenger trains detained and the movement of 40 goods trains affected, according to a northern railway spokesperson.
"Barring some limited number of trains in Punjab and Haryana, the bandh has had almost zero impact across the nation. Other than in these two states, around five to six trains were delayed for some time. Less than 0.5 per cent of trains impacted nationally. Trains are running smoothly," said Railway spokesperson D J Narain. (PTI)
Demonstrations in support of the 'Bharat Bandh' call by farmer unions protesting against the three farm laws were held in the Bundelkhand region on Friday but there was no impact on traffic and businesses.
Normal traffic was seen on the roads in Banda, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Lalitpur districts of the region, where movement of vehicles were seen and markets remained open. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Banda, Mahendra Pratap Singh Chauhan said that some farmers associated with the Bundelkhand Kisan Union gave a memorandum to authorities by staging a peaceful protest. However, there was no effect of the Bharat Bandh here, he said. (PTI)
Workers of RJD, Congress and the Left parties hit the streets across the state on Friday as part of "Bihar Bandh" call given by them in support of farmers cause and also to protest police action against the opposition MLAs in the assembly three days back.
The bandh had partial impact on normal life in the state as protesting opposition parties workers blocked national highways, state highways and squatted on railway tracks at few places. (PTI)
People protest at Attari, near the Indo-Pak border, blocking the National Highway to Wagah.
Bharat Bandh Punjab: Protesters seen sitting on a dharna on the tracks of a railway station in Barnala district for the ongoing strike on Friday. Some of the protesters were seen at a sit-in in Mansa district.
The Bharat Bandh strike was witnessed in the Visakhapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh. 'The Bharat Bandh is being held across the country with demands to repeal the cultivation laws brought by the Central Government, against the privatization of public sector enterprises, repeal of 4 Labor Codes,' CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh said.
"All political parties except the BJP extended support to the Bharat Bandh. State secretary P Madhu and CPI state secretary Ramakrishna were among the leaders at the protest in front of the Vijayawada bus stand," a statement on the official Twitter account of CPI(M) said.
A protest march carried out by Kul Hind Kisan Sabha in the main market of Mansa district in Punjab during the Bharat Bandh strike today.
Members of the Bar Association Mansa in Punjab observe a day-long strike in support of the on-going Bharat Bnadh strike.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh committee members block the Amritsar-Delhi railway track in Amritsar, during the 12 hours long ‘Bharat Bandh' called by Samyukt Kisan Morcha. ----PTI
Entry and exit gates of Tikri border, Bahadurgarh city and Brigadier Hoshiar Singh metro stations, which were closed briefly as precautionary measure in view of Bharat Bandh, have been opened, say officials. --- PTI
Hundreds of protesting farmers seen gathered at Maur chowk in Bathinda district of Punjab.
Farmers from nearby villages of Chandigarh seen protesting at Mullanpur Chandigarh barrier during Bharat Bandh on Friday.
Protesters are sitting at 31 locations across Punjab and Haryana spanning Delhi, Ambala & Firozepur division affecting rail movement. Train services have been affected at 32 locations, 4 Shatabdi trains canceled: Indian Railways. ---PTI
Farmers have blocked Rohtak-Panipat highway near Makrauli toll plaza by laying siege of tractors and other vehicles. Most of the roads including national highways have been blocked in Haryana.
The Odisha government on Thursday declared the closure of all educational institutions across the state on March 26 in view of the nationwide Bharat Bandh call given by farmers unions protesting against the Centre's farm laws.
The Congress and Left parties have announced their support to the 12-hour bandh to be observed from 6 am. The state's BJD government has asked its employees to reach offices by 9.30 am on Friday in view of the bandh.
In a notification, the government said that schools, colleges, universities and technical institutions will be closed on Friday in view of the bandh. The Utkal University authorities announced postponement of Plus III fifth semester exams of Arts/Science/Commerce streams scheduled to be held on Friday. --- PTI
The Akali Dal seen preparing for a Chakka jam at NH-9 near Lambi village in Punjab, as part of the Bharat Bandh called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. The region fall under the constituency of Akali Dal leader Prakash Singh Badal.
A protest is taking place at the Airport road near ISB in Mohali.