Bharat Bandh today : Rail, vegetables and milk supply to be hit

New Delhi : Rail and road transport are likely to be affected in many parts of the country on Friday and markets may also remain closed as farmer organizations protesting against the new agricultural laws of the Center have called for a complete ‘Bharat Bandh’. However, it will not apply to the five electoral states.

According to the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the nationwide bandh will begin from 6 am on March 26 and will continue till 6 pm, which is being carried out on the completion of four months of farmer agitation on three borders of Delhi – Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri.

Front leader Darshan Pal said in a video message that the supply of vegetables and milk would also be stopped during the bandh. The Morcha said in a statement that all shops, malls, markets and institutions will remain closed under the entire Bharat Bandh. All short and long routes will be blocked and trains will be stopped. All services will remain closed except for ambulances and other essential services. The impact of the Bharat Bandh will also be seen in Delhi.

It appealed to the agitating farmers to maintain peace during the bandh and not to engage in any wrong discussion or confrontation. Senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that road and rail transport will be blocked and markets will also remain closed. The Morcha said that the national capital will also be closed.

Rajewal said that trade unions and transport and other organizations associated with organized and unorganized sector have given their support to the call of farmers ‘Bharat Bandh’. Rajewal said that essential services such as ambulances and firefighting would be allowed during the shutdown.

At the same time, the Confederation of All India Traders, claiming representation of eight crore traders in the country, said that the markets will be open on 26 March as it is not included in ‘Bharat Bandh’. Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said that the ‘Bharat Bandh’ would have a major impact in Haryana and Punjab. He said that the people of the electoral states – Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry have been appealed not to join the bandh.