Nationwide protest against farm bill, rails and roads blocked

Several farmers’ organisations including from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are protesting against the contentious farm bills passed by Parliament earlier this week. The nationwide protests against the farm bills have led to blockade of rails and roads.

The protestors have blocked several national highways, including the Delhi-Amristar highway, Delhi-Meerut highway, Karnataka-Tamil Naadu highway.

Huge traffic jams have also been reported from Ayodhya-Lucknow highway.

Farmers in Punjab have also started a three-day rail blockade against the bills. The Punjab Chief Minister said the state government was fully with the farmers in their fight against the bills and no FIRs would be registered for violation of Section 144, which prohibits gathering of more than four people.

Protests have erupted in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi too.

The farm bills – the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill – were passed at the Parliament despite uproar and strong protest by the Opposition parties .

These bills are now with President Ram Nath Kovind. The Opposition parties have urged the President to not give approval to these bills. They want the government to take back the bills.