SC committee may hold talks with farmers on Jan 3; Punjab bandh cripples traffic

New Delhi: The Supreme Court committee, led by retired Justice Nawab Singh, has invited the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) for talks on January 3, a move welcomed by the farmer organisation. SKM national coordination committee member, Raminder Singh Patiala, confirmed that the farmers had accepted the invitation, signalling a potential step towards resolving ongoing issues.

The announcement comes after a day of disruption in Punjab, where a nine-hour bandh was called by farmers to protest against the Centre. The bandh, which ran from 7 am to 4 pm on Monday, aimed to highlight demands such as a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The strike, which affected rail, bus, and road operations, saw shops and establishments shuttered across the state. Traffic was severely impacted, with protests blocking roads in major cities like Patiala, Jalandhar, and Amritsar.