Farmers protesting against the controversial farm bills have called for a nationwide general strike or Bharat Bandh on 8th December.
Several political parties, including the Congress, AAP, DMK, Shiv Sena, Kamal Haasan’s MNM, TMC, and the TRS, have promised to lend their support to the protesting farmers and the demand for a bandh.
8 दिसंबर को किसानों द्वारा किए गए भारत बंद के आह्वान का आम आदमी पार्टी पूरी तरह से समर्थन करती है। देश भर में आम आदमी पार्टी के कार्यकर्ता शांतिपूर्ण तरीक़े से इसका समर्थन करेंगे। सभी देशवासियों से अपील है की सब लोग किसानो का साथ दें और इसमें हिस्सा लें https://t.co/xNseuxjtFO
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 6, 2020
With protests intensifying around the Delhi borders, the Delhi Police has issued some instructions with respect to the traffic arrangements.
Traffic Alert
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) December 7, 2020
The Gazipur border on on NH 24 is closed for traffic from Gaziabad to Delhi due to farmers protests . People are advised to avoid NH 24 for coming to Delhi and use Apsara/ Bhopra/DND for coming to Delhi.
The Delhi Police is tweeting the traffic updates regularly. Follow their tweets if you are commuting to and from Delhi.
A number of bank unions have also expressed their solidarity with the protesting farmers and requested the Centre to resolve the issue at the earliest. This means that bank services are likely to be affected on Tuesday, December 8.
Meanwhile, traffic comes to a grinding halt at the DND, crazy jam! This, primarily because of several layers of barricading by Delhi Police along the highway.
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) December 7, 2020
Wonder why Delhi Police has to make people crawl on a Monday morning when farmers are not even here on DND. pic.twitter.com/amwNV77pa4
The supply of milk and vegetables could be affected and transport services are also likely to be affected as trade and taxi unions have already backed the strike.
Emergency services like ambulances won’t be affected by the nationwide bandh.
Five rounds of talks between farmers’ representatives and the government have already taken place and the next meeting is scheduled on 9th December.
Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary reiterated that the three laws passed by the government are “in favour of farmers”, and they would not be repealed, though amendments could be made to them.
More information on the technicalities of the bandh will be updated.