Bharat Bandh: Farmer leaders arrested in BJP ruled states

Even as the opposition parties extended their full support to Bharat Bandh called by farmers unions on Friday, and many parts of the country saw a complete shut down in protest; the BJP governments in Karnataka and Gujarat resorted to the use of force and crackdown to dispel the ongoing farm protest.

The call for Friday’s nationwide Bandh was given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM)– an umbrella body of farm unions.

The SKM said that its General Secretary Yudhvir Singh was picked up by the police in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city when he was addressing a press conference. Yudhvir Singh can be seen being whisked away by the Ahmedabad police in the video.

Similarly, farmer leaders were detained in Karnataka’s capital Bengaluru as well, when they were protesting during the countrywide shutdown in Town Hall.

According to the SKM, activist Kavitha Kuruganti, who was one of the protesters was detained during the protest.

Condemning the arrest of peaceful protesters, Dr Darshan Pal said that the BJP ruled states are violating democratic norms to suppress the protest.

“This is an outright violation of the constitutional right of citizens to protest peacefully, which was reinforced by the Supreme Court of India during the ongoing farmers’ protests. Yudhvir Singh of BKU Tikait and one of the key members of SKM were arrested in Bhavnagar today.  Kavitha Kuruganti,  Kodihalli Chandrasekhar,  Bayyareddy, trade union leaders and others were similarly picked up by police in Bangalore. Karnataka police also arrested many protesters in Gulbarga. SKM strongly condemns and opposes this behavior against peaceful protesters,” said Darshan Pal.

“SKM condemns the deployment of women police in civil clothes who were used to pick up scores of protesters in multiple rounds, at Town Hall in Bangalore.  BJP ruled governments are brazenly violating basic norms and rules in their anxiety to suppress the farmers movement,” added Pal.

As per various media reports, thousands of farmers gathered at over 30 locations across Punjab, Delhi and Haryana on Friday, demanding repeal of farm laws. Four Shatabdi trains have been canceled due to the protest.

This is the second nationwide strike announced by farmers organisations. The first Bharat Bandh took place on December 8, during which various important establishments shut down in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Assam.

As per reports, lakh of farmers hit the streets and blocked the highways, railway tracks. Several states witnessed a complete shutdown, closure of businesses and daily activities.