Members of a farmers’ organisation, opposition parties on Tuesday staged a ‘rail roko’ and blocked roads in several parts of the country as part of the Bharat Bandh called by agitating farmer unions to press for repeal of the Centre’s agri laws.
In Maharashtra’s Buldhana district, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna members stopped the Chennai-Ahmedabad Navjeevan Express at Malkapur station.
Police detained Sanghatana leader Ravikant Tupkar and his supporters over the incident, after removing them from the rail tracks, an official said.
Agriculture Produce Market Committees in Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Dhule, Pune and Solapur are closed during the bandh.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress are supporting the bandh.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said people should participate in the “non-political” bandh to support farmers.
“People should willingly take part in the bandh. This will show true support to the farmers. This is not a political bandh though several parties have decided to take part in it,” Raut said.
In West Bengal, Odisha, Left parties staged a ‘rail roko’ on the railway tracks in support of Bharat Bandh by farmer unions.
All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah said the ‘Bharat Bandh’ is a show of strength by the farmers, and their legitimate demands have found support from people across the country.
Agitating farmer unions have threatened to block national highways and occupy toll plazas across the country during their ‘chakka jam’ protest from 11 am to 3 pm as part of their stir. Emergency services will be exempted during the bandh.
“We are standing by our demand that we want a complete repeal of the three laws and will not accept any cosmetic changes. The nature of these laws are such that amendments will not make any difference. Today we have called a bandh, and if our demands are not met, we are ready to take our agitation to the next level,” Hannan Mollah said.
In Gujarat, protesters blocked three highways by placing burning tyres on roads.
A highway connecting Ahmedabad to Viramgam was blocked near Sanand by protesters from the Congress party who placed burning tyres on roads, causing a traffic jam.
Another group of protesters blocked a national highway in Vadodara.
In another incident, a highway connecting Bharuch and Dahej in Bharuch districtwas similarly blocked near Nandelav by protesters.
Police detained protesters in Ahmedabad and brought the situation under control, an official said.
The state government has imposed section 144 of the CrPC, which bans assembly of more than four persons, in view of the Bharat Bandh.
In view of the nationwide strike, the Delhi Police beefed up security at all border points and made arrangements to maintain law and order across the city, including market places.
Meanwhile, public transport services, including buses and local trains, remained unaffected in Mumbai so far.
Unions of autorickshaws and taxis have extended their support to the shutdown but have decided to operate their services as usual.