New Delhi: To mark a year of the protest, the agitating farmers began the 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday morning against the three contentious farm laws and blocked roads and highways in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana disrupting traffic. The Bharat Bandh has been called by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) to mark the first anniversary of the enactment of the three farm laws.


The bandh will be held from 6 am to 4 pm during which all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial establishments, as well as public events and functions, will be closed throughout the country.


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All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief, and rescue work, and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted.


Key updates on Kisan Bharat Bandh



  • The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions has called for the Bharat Bandh today. They have said that they won't allow movement on some sections of national highways. This morning, Delhi-Meerut Expressway was blocked near the Ghazipur protest site, affecting the traffic coming from Uttar Pradesh.

  • Massive traffic snarl seen at Gurugram-Delhi border as vehicles entering the national capital are being checked by Delhi Police.


 



  • BKU Leader Rakesh Tikait said, "Ambulances, doctors or those going for an emergency can pass through. We've not sealed down anything, we just want to send a message. We appeal to the shopkeepers to keep their shops closed for now and open only after 4pm. No farmer is coming here from outside."




  • The traffic movement on Monday (September 27, 2021) has been closed from Uttar Pradesh towards Delhi's Ghazipur border. Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Police said, "Traffic movement has been closed from UP towards Ghazipur due to protest."

  • Various organizations protest outside Kalaburagi Central bus station as farmer organisatons call for Bharat Bandh today against 3 farm laws.




  • Farmers have also blocked the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana. The Haryana Police on Sunday people to be prepared to face traffic congestion. "It is expected the agitating groups may sit on dharna on roads and highways and block them for some time. The national and state highways in Haryana may see some traffic disruptions for several hours," a state police spokesperson said on Sunday. 

  • RJD leader Mukesh Raushan and other members & workers of the party protest in Hajipur, in support of Bharat Bandh called by farmer organisations against the 3 farm laws. Earlier on Sunday, the RJD extended its support and "requested all RJD workers to make this Bharat Bandh a success".




  • The Congress has asked all its workers, state unit chiefs and heads of frontal organisations to take part in the Bharat Bandh. Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said party workers will extend "full support to the peaceful Bharat Bandh". "We believe in the right of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws," he tweeted. 

  • Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Andhra Pradesh's Telegu Desam Party (TDP) have extended their support to the Bharat Bandh called by the national level farmers' associations.

  • Punjab state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu asked party workers to support the protest by farmers. "Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee firmly stands by farmer unions' demand for Bharat Bandh on September 27, 2021. In the war of right and wrong, you cannot afford to be neutral. We urge every Congress worker to fight with all their might against the three unconstitutional black laws," Sidhu tweeted.

  • At all locations where farmers are protesting, forces have been deployed since 5 am. Farmers' protests are peaceful, so forces have also been told to not behave untowardly with them, said Amritsar police as farmers block roads.

  • In Uttar Pradesh, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said he party will support a peaceful "Bharat Bandh". "The farmers of the country do not endorse the three farm laws brought in a hurry by the centre, and are sad about it. They have been protesting for the past 10 months in the country and aggressively, especially around Delhi," Mayawati said.

  • The police have said that they have made adequate security arrangements to maintain the law an order situation and prevent any untoward incident in the national capital during the bandh.

  • Patrolling has been intensified, extra personnel have been deployed at the pickets especially across the border areas and every vehicle entering the national capital is being thoroughly checked, according to the police.

  • Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said, In view of Bharat Bandh, adequate security arrangements have been made as a precautionary measure. Pickets at the border areas have been strengthened and all vital installations, including India Gate and Vijay Chowk have adequate deployment.

    Farmers from different parts of the country, especially Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding the repeal of the three contentious farm laws that they fear would do away with the Minimum Support Price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporations.

    The government, however, has been projecting the three laws as major agricultural reforms. Over 10 rounds of talks between the two parties have failed to break the deadlock.