The Kisan Unions warned the Centre to intensify their protest if the demands remained unmet as farmers resumed their protest on the fifth day. The next round of talks between farmers and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government will take place on February 18.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s Punjab unit will gather in Jalandhar on Sunday for a meeting. Following this, the National Coordination Committee (NCC) and general body will convene in New Delhi to evaluate progress and propose future actions.

Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Friday said that his government has been making all its effort to a solution and the next round of talks with farmers will take place on February 18.

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has emphasised continuing their peaceful protest and will refrain from any provocation either from farmers or the government.

On Friday, the SKM called for a nationwide strike named Gramin Bharat Bandh to press their demands on the Central government. The protesters had begun the day-long protest from  6 am and it was concluded at 4 pm.

A Bharat Bandh was demanded by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), an SKM associated, in response to several unfulfilled demands from farmers. The Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP), situated in Noida, had also offered its backing to Friday’s Bharat Bandh.

BKU local leader Pawan Khatana claimed that farmers were instructed to strike for one day, in order to put pressure on the government, to make demands during the Bharat Bandh that his union has organised.

Farmers also asked not to work on their crops tomorrow or to visit marketplaces to make any purchases. Khatana said, traders and truckers have also been urged to participate in the strike tomorrow.

In light of the Bharat Bandh, restrictions under CrPC, Section 144 were observed across Noida. These include a prohibition on unapproved public meetings, processions, or rallies, including political or religious ones.

A fact-checking team of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as Congress leader chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were on Friday allegedly stopped by the West Bengal Police from visiting the violence-hit Sandeshkhali village.

After being stopped from visiting the village, both parties condemned the Banerjee government for politicising the issue. A delegation of BJP MPs led by Union Minister Annapurna Devi sat on the road in protest for hours. The Bengal Congress chief Chowdhury also staged a protest against the State in the village.

Speaking to the reporters, Chowdhury criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Banerjee government and asked the question, of why Opposition parties were being stopped from entering the violence-hit Sandeshkhali. The Congress leader charged Banerjee, saying she has purportedly communalised the issue.

He added that instead of acknowledging the incidents in the village which are a matter of shame, she has been attempting to imbue them with a communal narrative by bringing the aspects of Hindus and Muslims. The Congress condemn such communal politics, he further added.

Early in the day, a war of words broke out between police and the BJP leaders, a scuffle was also witnessed. The leaders also accused the police of heckling them. After not being allowed to visit the village, the team left for the Raj Bhavan and also made a video call to some of the women from Sandeshkhali.

A protest erupted in Sandeshkhali eight days ago over allegations of sexual abuse of women by a local TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh. According to reports, several women in the region accused the local leader Sheikh and his associates of land-grab and forcefully assaulted them sexually.

Several women in the village have demanded the immediate arrest of the TMC leader. However, Sheikh has been absconding since January 5 after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a corruption case.

Seven out of eight Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) were suspended on Friday for the remainder of the Budget session of the Delhi Assembly for allegedly interrupting Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena’s address.

On Thursday, they were marshalled out of the House for their unruly behaviour. According to the reports, the seven BJP MLAs were interrupting Governor Saxena during his address to the House as they sought to attack the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led-AAP government.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel sent the matter of disruption to the Privileges Committee.

On the second day of the session, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Dilip Kumar Pandey and the party convenor Kejriwal whip in the Assembly. Pandey pointed out the disruption made by the BJP MLAs during the LG’s speech, he said MLAs have disrupted Saxena’s address marking the opening of the budget session at least eight times. He further said that such behaviour by the BJP MLAs amounted to lowering the dignity of the House.

AAP MLA Pandey, later moved a proposal that the matter be referred to the Delhi Assembly Privileges Committee, demanding the suspension of the seven BJP MLAs from the proceedings of the House, until the panel decides on the matter. Through a voice vote, the proposal was passed.

Despite several warnings from the Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, BJP Vijender Gupta interrupted Saxena while he was citing the AAP’s achievements. Following this, the Speaker asked the House marshals to take Gupta out.

Later, when LG Saxena began his address, other leaders from the BJP party continued disrupting him as Saxena cited several Kejriwal government’s achievements.

After all this, the BJP MLAs defied the Goel and refrained from interrupting the Saxena’s address, to which the Speaker had to ask the marshals to take them out of the House too.

The House suspended seven BJP MLAs out of eight, the Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri was not suspended, however, he walked out with other suspended BJP leaders in protest against the decision of the House to suspend its MLAs.