Thousands of farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws for the past 11 days here have called on people to join their ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Tuesday in large numbers, as police increased deployment at various Delhi border points.
Farmer leaders also welcomed the support of political parties to the nationwide strike against the laws and demanded that the legislation be repealed.
The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam are among the political parties that are backing the day-long strike.
The Delhi Police has increased deployment and security arrangements on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as a precautionary measure.
Farmers have threatened to intensify their agitation and block more roads leading to the national capital if the government did not accept their demand.
Farmers gather for a speech at a protest site at a road block on the Delhi-Haryana border crossing in Singhu, Delhi, India (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)
Talks between the government and protesting farmer unions so far have been futile and the sixth round of discussions is scheduled to be held on Wednesday.
The Delhi Traffic Police on Monday tweeted about the closure of the Singhu, Auchandi, Piao Maniyari and Mangesh borders. The Tikri and Jharoda borders are also closed, it said.
The National Highway-44 (NH-44) has also been closed on both sides. So those travelling are suggested to take alternative routes through Lampur, Safiabad and Saboli borders.Traffic has also been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road, traffic police said.
Centre Asks States To Tighten Security
The Centre has asked all states and Union Territories to tighten security during Tuesday’s ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by the farmers unions and supported by opposition parties, while asserting that peace and tranquillity must be maintained on that day, officials said.
In a countrywide advisory, the Union Home Ministry also said the state governments and UT administrations must ensure that the Covid-19 guidelines issued with regard to health and social distancing are strictly followed.
The states and UTs were told that peace and tranquillity must be maintained during the ‘Bharat Bandh’ and precautionary measures taken so that no untoward incident takes place anywhere in the country, a home ministry official said on Monday.