"We have a meeting with the Home Minister at 7 pm today. We are going to Singhu Border now and from there we will go to the Home Minister," Tikait said earlier today.
Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other areas have stayed put at various Delhi border points, protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.
Early inputs from across the country showed mixed response to the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by the farmer unions on Tuesday as no major disturbance were reported from anywhere. The shutdown -- from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- focused primarily on "chakka jaam" (no vehicular movement).
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1. The Bharat Bandh call, supported by various Opposition political parties, was seen in vegetable 'mandis' in the New Delhi and various others states. However, the commercial establishments, particularly in cities and towns, were not affected as the retailers' organisations have kept off the shutdown.
2. There was some impact of the 'Bandh' call in interstate bus services and the passengers reached railway stations a bit early in the wake of the nationwide protest. State and city borders were open, and public vehicles like auto-rickshaw, taxis, aggregator cabs, a few heavy vehicles carrying essential items were witnessed moving on roads.
3. Wholesale markets, retail vegetable markets and local vendors were functioning partially in many states.
4. Cold response was seen in Tamil Nadu while there was growing solidarity for the farmers cause in Odisha and Telangana. In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party workers stopped Bundelkhand Express at Prayagraj, leading to a scuffle with the police as Samajwadi Party workers squatted on the railway track.
5. Very few vehicles were seen on roads in Bihar in morning as the Mahagathbandhan led by Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav is spearheading the support to the 'Bharat Bandh'.
6. In Maharashtra, a mixed response was observed in the morning, especially in the urban areas. While all APMCs across the state were deserted in the morning, shops and commercial establishments were open. The traffic movement in major cities like Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik, and Kolhapur was normal, though farmer organisation Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana has announced road and rail blockades later.
7. Buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation in Telangana went off road amid growing support for farmers groups-called Bharat Bandh that received support from all parties in the state except the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
8. The 'Bharat Bandh' called received partial response in West Bengal too with protesters burning the effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some business honchos on road. West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress has extend "moral support" to the nationwide strike and in solidarity will stage sit-ins in various parts of the state for the next three days.
9. Roads wore a deserted look in several parts of Odisha as the farmers supported by different political parties and trade unions on Tuesday began holding protests as part of Bharat Bandh against new farm laws enacted by the Centre.
10. In Tamil Nadu, normal life was not affected here and in other parts of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday with state transport buses plying, hotels and shops remaining open despite the Bharat Bandh call given by farmers and supported by opposition parties.