New Delhi: A nationwide strike called by farmer unions against the Centre’s agri laws received a mixed response in the national capital Tuesday. Most businesses and transport services operated normally. However, more protesters converged at the national capital’s borders to join the farmers’ stir while authorities maintained tight security. The farmer unions however called the strike successful.
Chants of ‘Jai Kisan’, ‘Humara bhaichara zindabad’, ‘Kisan ekta zindabad’, ‘Tanashahi nahi chalegi’ rent the air as farmer leaders gave rousing speeches at the protest sites. They vowed to continue their agitation.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which supported the ‘Bharat Bandh’ along with many other opposition parties, alleged that the Delhi Police put Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal under house arrest after he met protesting farmers at the Singhu border, Monday. It was a claim that was denied by the city police. Amid high drama, scores of AAP workers converged outside Kejriwal’s residence while police stopped them and asked them to follow COVID norms.
The BJP slammed Kejriwal, accusing him of indulging in ‘cheap and petty politics of deceit’.
Police said that there were no major fresh protests in the city except in some Delhi border points, but traffic diversions were made on some routes as a precautionary measure.
Protesting farmers had threatened to block key roads and occupy toll plazas from 11.00am and 3.00pm Tuesday as part of their call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ to press for repeal of the new farm laws.
Most of the markets, including Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar, in the city remained open amid group patrolling by police personnel to maintain law and order. However, there were not many customers.
Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders, claimed transport services and markets functioned normally in the national capital and other parts of India. He said the ‘Bharat Bandh’ had no impact on such activities.
“Trading activities were normal in Delhi markets that were open despite the Bharat Bandh. It was business as usual in all the wholesale and retail markets. Transport of goods is also taking place normally,” Khandelwal and CAIT Delhi president Vipin Ahuja said in a statement.
The CAIT and All India Transport Welfare Association (AITWA) have not been part of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ strike, Khandelwal said.
Also, public transport services in the national capital remained largely unaffected during a ‘Bharat Bandh’ even though some auto and taxi unions kept their vehicles off the roads in support of the shutdown.
Kamaljeet Gill, the president of Sarvodaya Driver Association of Delhi which represents drivers working with app-based cab aggregators, claimed most of its members were on strike.
“There are around four lakh app-based cabs in Delhi-NCR. Most of our members are on strike,” he said. Many users of app-based cab services though said they did not face much difficulty in booking rides.
“The waiting time for Ola and Uber was like any other day. I did not have to wait long or face any issues today,” said Pradip Dubey, a commuter. Auto-rickshaws were also easily available on the roads, said some other commuters.