Farmer bodies and opposition parties have called a Bharat Bandh today to protest against the new farm bills passed by Parliament this week. On Thursday, farmers from Punjab and Haryana, which are key producers of wheat and rice, blocked railway tracks, forcing the cancellation of some trains on local routes. Several farmer bodies have come together under the banner of All India Kisan Sangarsh Committee for Friday’s Bharat Bandh, which is expected to disrupt road and rail traffic in several states. Intense protests are expected in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and some parts of Maharashtra.