Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi will not celebrate her birthday on December 9. Sonia Gandhi has taken this decision in view of the peasant movement against the agricultural laws in the country and the coronavirus situation. Significantly, the farmers' demonstration is going on along the Delhi border regarding agricultural laws.
At the same time, farmers' unions protesting against the recent agriculture laws of the Center have called a nationwide bandh today. The bandh will be from 11 am to 3 pm. Some trade unions have also announced support for the call for the bandh. However, farmer leaders have said that no one will be forced to join the bandh.
Following the announcement by almost all opposition parties to support the Bharat Bandh and several organizations in parallel to support the farmers, the Center issued a consultation directing all states and union territories to increase security and ensure peace.
Appealing to all to join the symbolic bandh, the farmer leaders said that as part of their demonstration, they would perform a chakka jam from 11 am to 3 pm during which the major roads would be jammed. As part of the demonstration, farmers from northern states, especially Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, took to the streets.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that our bandh is different from the bandh of political parties. This is a four-hour symbolic shutdown due to ideology. We want the common man to have no problem. We appeal to him not to travel during this period.
He said that we also request shopkeepers to keep their shops closed during this period. President of the Bharatiya Kisan Ekta Sangathan Jagjit Singh Dallewala appealed to the farmers not to dispute with anyone to maintain peace and enforce the bandh. He said that emergency services would be exempt during the bandh. The leaders claimed that the bandh would be effective across the country.