'Bharat Bandh' ends peacefully, life hit in some states as farmers take centrestage

New Delhi/Chandigarh: Farmers took the national centrestage on Tuesday as their call for a 'Bharat Bandh' to push for a repeal of the new agri laws disrupted life in myriad ways with shops closed, transport affected and protesters squatting on roads and train tracks in several places, though several states remained largely unaffected.

As analysts, politicians and others assessed how effective the bandh had been, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav claimed it was observed in around 10,000 places in 25 states.

Emergency services were exempted and banks, too, continued operations as the pan-India shutdown, backed by most Opposition parties and trade unions, rolled out noisily but peacefully with its impact felt in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, the epicentre of the snowballing protests, as well as in states such as Odisha, Maharashtra and Bihar.

In several parts of the country, including in BJP-ruled Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, life continued unimpeded.

In other places, the pandemic appeared to recede into the background. Security was stepped up, restive crowds demonstrated in some places and the numbers swelled at Delhi's border points. Protesters also blocked railway tracks in places in West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

As slogans such as Kisan Ekta Zindabad were heard in protest centrepoints such as Tikri and the agitation picked up pace, the hashtag #Aaj_Bharat_Bandh_Hai was trending worldwide on Twitter till late afternoon.

In Delhi, where most main markets were open, tension spiralled with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleging that Delhi Police had put Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal under house arrest.

City police denied the claim but the party stuck to its guns and said the move was a response to Kejriwal meeting protesting farmers at the Singhu border.

Farmer unions had threatened to block national highways and occupy toll plazas across the country during a 'chakka jam' protest from 11 am to 3 pm.

All India Kisan Sabha general secretary Hannan Mollah described the shutdown as a show of strength by the farmers.

"We are standing by our demand that we want a complete repeal of the three laws and will not accept any cosmetic changes If our demands are not met, we are ready to take our agitation to the next level," Mollah said.

Opposition parties are expected to meet Kovind on Wednesday evening to raise their concerns about the three farm laws.