Bharat Bandh peaceful

New Delhi: Normal life was disrupted in several parts of the country on Tuesday as shops and commercial establishments stayed closed, transport was affected and protesters squatted on key roads and rail tracks in response to a 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmers demanding repeal of the agri laws.

As the bandh ended peacefully, farmers' leaders termed their show of strength a success. The nationwide shutdown was observed in around 10,000 places in 25 states, claimed Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav.

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 Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jharkhand.

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

From the Rajasthan capital Jaipur, where 'mandis' were closed but shops open, there were reports of clashes between workers of the state's ruling Congress and the BJP.

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 till evening. City police denied the claim.

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 farmrs.

"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.

The protesting farmers fear the new laws will pave the way for eliminating the safety of the Minimum Support Price cushion and do away with 'mandis', leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The government maintains the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.