The Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) call for a Bharat Bandh on Monday, to mark the first anniversary of the three controversial farm laws getting Presidential assent, has garnered support from all sections of the society, including political parties.

Many Opposition parties have expressed their support to the bandh — while Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has supported the bandh, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav has announced that he will participate in the nationwide strike. The Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu governments, too, have declared complete support to the nationwide strike. Congress has also said that it will be joining the protests on Monday.

The bandh will be held from 6 in the morning to 4 in the evening during which all government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as public events and functions will be closed throughout the country. However, all emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted. The bandh will be enforced in a voluntary and peaceful manner, the SKM has assured.

The Andhra Pradesh government has declared full support to the Bharat Bandh on September 27, and also to workers of Visakhapatnam steel plant, state Information and Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) said on Saturday.

Nani told reporters that the state government has decided to stop APSRTC buses across the state from September 26 midnight to September 27 afternoon.

The ruling DMK has appealed to the people, farmers, farmworkers and traders to take part in the proposed nationwide strike on September 27 by farmer unions and urged its functionaries as well to make the “Bharat Bandh” a success in Tamil Nadu.

The party stands with farmers protesting in Delhi and other places against the farm laws, DMK’s state agriculture wing chief NKK Periyasamy said, adding that the Centre was autocratic and never pays heed to them. Tamil Nadu farmers, farmworkers, general public, traders and all social outfits should participate in the bandh and make it a complete success, he requested.

Kerala’s ruling LDF has also called for a state-wide hartal on 27 September to express solidarity with the farmers. This call was announced by LDF convenor and CPI(M) acting secretary A Vijayaraghavan after the meeting of the leaders of the ruling party alliance in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Indian Express