NEW DELHI: A day before the Bharat Bandh called by it on September 27, the day the three contentious farm laws came into force last year, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha appealed for complete peace and urged all Indians to join the strike while police in Delhi, Haryana and UP ramped up security arrangements.
“It is a day to express support to the annadatas (farmers) of the country, the ones who keep all Indians alive,” it said. Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said the farmers protesting for the last 10 months were ready to agitate for 10 years, but would not allow the ‘black’ legislations to be implemented. All emergency establishments and essential services, will be exempted, the Morcha said.
Many non-BJP parties, including the Congress and the Left, have backed the bandh call. The Congress on Sunday asked all its workers, state unit chiefs and heads of frontal organisations to join the bandh. “We believe in the rights of our farmers and we will stand by them in their fight against the black farm laws,” said Congress general secretary K C Venugopal. BSP supremo Mayawati also tweeted on Sunday supporting the bandh.
The Haryana Police and civil administration have made elaborate arrangements to maintain public peace and order, prevent any kind of violence and to facilitate the functioning of traffic and public transport systems across the state.