Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka support SKM's Bharat Bandh call, term Centre 'exploitative'

Extending his support to the nationwide strike called by farmers' unions against the Centre's farm laws, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Union government of being 'exploitative'. Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader wrote, "Farmers' non-violent satyagraha is intact even today. But the exploitative government does not like this. That's why Today there is Bharat Bandh. (sic)"

Several other political leaders also voiced their support for the Bharat Bandh called by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a group of multiple farmers' unions, on Monday, September 27. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted, “The farm, labour and the crops belong to the farmer but the BJP government is eager to take help its trillionaire friends. The rest of the country is with the farmers. @narendramodi, take back the black law.”

The SKM, supported by several political parties, are observing a nationwide strike on the occasion of the first anniversary of the three Central farm laws they want the government to repeal. Political parties that extended their support o the SKM called nationwide strike include the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, All India Forward Bloc, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Indian National Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Janata Dal (Secular), Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, SAD-Sanyukt, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Swaraj India.  

Highways, Roads blocked

The strike is being observed from 6 am to 4 pm today. Demonstrators have blocked several highways and roads across the country.

Daily life was majorly affected across India especially in the Gurugram-Delhi border area where hoards of cars and vehicles were seen stuck in a never-ending queue. The National Capital Region (NCR) witnessed unprecedented chaos on Monday morning as protesters held demonstrations across the borders and blocked highways, railway tracks and other ways of transportation. Due to the demonstrations, traffic was suspended on roads leading to Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur.

Bharat Bandh

The SKM said that all government and private offices, educational institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments shall remain closed during the protest hours. However, exemptions to the bandh include all emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies.

The Bharat Bandh movement has been supported by more than 500 farmer organisations, 15 trade unions, political parties and varied sections of society. State governments of  Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Punjab, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have also extended their support for the Bharat Bandh. 

(With inputs from ANI)