Punjab Bandh Highlights: Farmers thank ‘3 crore Punjabis’ for ‘successful’ bandh

Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa strongly criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government for its alleged mishandling of the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

Bajwa, who is Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, accused the AAP government “of betraying Punjab’s agrarian community and colluding with the BJP to undermine the state’s proud legacy”.

“This movement underscores the legitimacy of their demands and the failure of both the AAP-led Punjab government and the BJP-led central government to address their concerns. Farmers are, and will always be, the backbone of our nation,” he said in a statement.

After the bandh, Dallewal thanked the people of Punjab for supporting and making the Bandh a “success”.

In a video message, he said the Centre should pay attention to their demands.

Farmer leaders who gave the bandh call more than a week ago declared it “successful” and thanked the “three crore Punjabis for extending their full support”.

Amid a harsh winter chill and dense fog at some places, farmers staged ‘dharnas’ on several roads and highways including in Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Pathankot, crippling the traffic. (PTI)

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will examine the Punjab government’s measures to provide treatment to the ailing farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose indefinite hunger strike entered its 35th day on Monday.

The state’s attempt to persuade the septuagenarian to take medical aid has been unsuccessful. Dallewal fears the use of force to oust him from the protest site and has demanded that the Centre initiate a dialogue with the protesting farmers about their demands.

The farmers have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border at Khanauri to press the Centre for several demands, including a legal guarantee to a minimum support price for crops.

Life was hit across Punjab due to a ‘bandh’ imposed by farmers who have been agitating against the Centre for a legal guarantee of a minimum support price for their crops.

Rail and road traffic was crippled and commercial establishments remained shut in several places of the state.

Farmers staged ‘dharnas’ on several roads and highways including in Patiala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Pathankot as part of their bandh call from 7 am to 4 pm, throwing commuter traffic out of gear. (PTI)

Former ADGP Jaskaran Singh arrives at Khanauri border to hold talks with farmers. He is accompanied by a team of medical practitioners, PTC News reported.

The statewide shutdown called by farmers in Punjab showed it’s impact in neighbouring Haryana as it disrupted public transport the state. The disrupption left hundreds of passengers stranded at Kurukshetra railway station. Many travellers, including those returning from Somvati Amavasya holy dips, faced delays due to halted trains.

Punjab’s Medical practitioners have also extended their support to farmers’ statewide shutdown call, PTC News reported.

Protesting farmers have organised Langar for commuters from outside state who are stuck in Bhogpur in Jalandhar district due to disrupted rail services in the wake of the statewide shutdown.

Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring hit out at the Punjab government on its handling of the situation with farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. Warring accussed Bhagwant Mann of conspiring with the Union government to crush the ongoing farmers protest.

“Instead of supporting S. Jagjit Singh Dallewal Ji, who is on a fast to death for our farmers, the AAP government is preparing to crush the movement. I want to tell the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann that farming is not our profession as Punjabis, it is our religion and the people of Punjab will definitely teach a lesson to every person who tries to suppress the farmers’ struggle,” the Punjab Congress Chief said in a post on X.

Amid the ongoing shutdown, farmer leader Sharvan Singh Pandher has said that the residents of Punjab have wholeheartedly supported the Bandh. He also said that the protestors have installed more than 280 blockade to disrupt road and rail services

Farmers have blocked traffic at several places across the state as part of their Punjab Bandh hampering commuter traffic at large. Grain markets were shut in several places.

According to a report from ABP Sanjha, petrol pumps and liquor shops were seen open in Patiala.

According to reports from the local media, no impact of the Punjab Bandh call was seen in Chandigarh. The rural areas of Punjab are the ones that are mostly affected.

As part of the Punjab bandh call, the protesting farmers have blocked Ambala-Chandigarh expressway at Dappar toll plaza on key Delhi-Chandigarh highway.

The agitators in large numbers gathered at the toll plaza falling under Gholu Majra village of Derabassi town of SAS Nagar (Mohali), as early as 7 am.

To avoid inconvenience to the commuters, the Ambala Police issued a traffic advisory for those travelling between Chandigarh-Delhi, Hisar-Chandigarh, Ambala-Chandigarh and vice versa.

The travelers have been advised to take alternate route via Panchkula, Barwala, Mullana, Yamunanagar, Radaur, Ladwa and NH-44 at Pipli or Panchkula, Barwala, Mullana, Yamunanagar, Radaur, Ladwa, Indri and NH-44 at Karnal.

The members of farmer unions have blocked railways tracks, national and state highways at several places in the region. The main markets were also closed in all the districts. Meanwhile, the public and private buses also remained non functional.

Employees of the state-run PRTC, in solidarity with farmers, have suspended bus services while blocking Chandigarh road at Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk in Samana.

According to PTC News, the call for Punjab Bandh has failed to garner support in Baba Bakala in the Amritsar district with businesses running as usual.

Protesting farmers have installed blockades at Landra Chowk in Mohali. Similar blockades have also been installed in Banur, Kharar, according to PTC News.

Langar has been set up at Amritsar’s Golden Gate to prepare food for protesting farmers, who have called for a state-wide shutdown today.

There will also be no supply of milk, fruits, and vegetables until the protest ends on Monday evening as several trade organisations lent their support to the bandh.

Rail movement and road traffic will be closed on 30 December.

In support of the farmers’ Bandh call, bus services in Punjab will remain suspended on Monday.

While the state bus services will be shut for four hours, from 10 AM to 2 PM, , the private bus operators have announced their full support, thus declaring the suspension of services across the state from 7 AM to 4 PM.

Besides a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands.