Bharat Bandh today: Farmers mark protest anniversary, Opposition supports stir

The farmers organisations have called for a Bharat Bandh today to mark the first anniversary of the three controversial farm laws getting Presidential assent. The protest call by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha has garnered support from all sections of the society, including political parties.

The bandh will be held from 6 in the morning to 4 in the evening and the SKM has assured that the bandh will be enforced in a voluntary and peaceful manner.

The group has said they will not allow movement on some sections of national highways. This morning, Delhi-Meerut Expressway was blocked near the Ghazipur protest site, affected the traffic coming from Uttar Pradesh.

The farmers have also blocked the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana. Delhi-Amritsar National Highway was also blocked at Shahabad in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

Security has been stepped up on main roads and highways.

Many Opposition parties have expressed their support to the bandh — while Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has supported the bandh, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav has announced that he will participate in the strike.

The Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments, too, have declared complete support to the nationwide strike. Congress has also said that it will be joining the protests on Monday.

The All India Bank Officers’ Confederation has extended its support to the bandh. It has requested the government to have a dialogue with the farmers on their demands and rescind the three laws at the centre of the standoff.