Bharat Bandh today: MHA issues advisory, tightens security

New Delhi : The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday issued an advisory to all the states on Monday, ahead of Bharat Bandh(nationwide strike) that has been called by the farmers who have been protesting at Delhi borders for more than two weeks now against new farm bill.

The ministry asked states and union territories to tighten security and ensure a peaceful protest with no untoward incident.

The MHA advisory also noted that all guidelines in regards to COVID-19 must be strictly followed and it notified that they will be monitoring the supply of essential goods and services in Delhi. Additional security forces have also been administered in the national capital in wake of possible chaos.

Farmers leaders have announced that the Bharat Bandh will be observed from 11 AM to 3 PM as they have no intentions to create troubles for common people. During this time, they will block key roads as part of their ‘Chakka Jam’ protest.

Meanwhile, several services may be affected across states like transportation via cabs, auto-rickshaws and buses. The All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), representing about 95 lakh truckers and other entities, said it will suspend operations in the entire country to support the bandh. The Railways are also likely to be hit during the strike.

The Centre had done five meetings with the farmers so far to convince them about their idea on the bill, but they have failed every time with talks going inconclusive. In the previous dialogue, union leaders went on a ‘maun vrat’ seeking a clear ‘yes or no’ reply, forcing the Centre to call for another meeting on December 9 to resolve the deadlock.

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