The Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Harwinder Singh Lakhwal said the “Bharat bandh” will also see farmers blocking national highways and occupying toll plazas.
After farmer unions gathered around Delhi borders for nearly two weeks to protest against the centre’s new farm laws called for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Tuesday, several opposition parties have come in support of the call.
Prem Singh Bhangu, the President of the All India Kisan Federation, said on Saturday: “It will be an emphatic ‘Bharat Bandh‘ on December 8.” The Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Harwinder Singh Lakhwal said the “Bharat bandh” will also see farmers blocking national highways and occupying toll plazas, PTI reported.
Along with Tamil Nadu’s DMK and Telangana’s ruling TRS, the Congress, Bengal’s ruling Trinamool, the RJD, the Samajwadi Party and several Left groups have all backed the farmers’ bandh call.
Arvind Kejriwal, the Delhi CM, said the AAP “fully supports” the bandh.
“The Aam Aadmi Party fully supports the ‘Bharat Bandh‘ call. There is an appeal to all countrymen that everyone should support the farmers and participate in it,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted.
Cautioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to test the farmers’ patience, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted: “Pick your pen, apologise to ‘anndata (farmers)’ and annul the black laws immediately.”
MK Stalin, DMK chief and Leader of the Opposition led protests in Tamil Nadu and criticised the centre for “haste” in passing the laws during a pandemic. Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) has also sent a 10-member team to Delhi to express solidarity with the farmers.
Telangana’s ruling TRS, with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao extending “total support” and urging farmers to continue protests till all three laws are repealed, will also back the bandh call.
It will extend “moral support” to farmers and stage sit-ins in various areas in the state for three days, Bengal’s ruling TMC said. The state would also seek the immediate withdrawal of the farm laws, said party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay.
In a joint statement, The Communist Party of India, CPI (Marxist), CPI (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc said: “The Left parties extend their solidarity with and support to the ongoing massive agitation by kisan organisations from all over the country against the new agri laws. The Left parties extend their support to the call given by them for a ‘Bharat bandh‘ on December 8.”
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav held a protest in Patna, pledging to support the farmers.
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