The opposition on Monday continued its protests against the two agricultural bills passed by Parliament on Sunday with farmers in various states, especially in Punjab and Haryana, joining the agitation.
In Rajasthan, as many as 247 grain mandis remained closed in protest against the bills.
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by the Rajya Sabha on Sunday, a few days after being cleared by the Lok Sabha.
As many as 10 central trade also announced their support to the nation-wide protest on September 25.
As protests spread, news agency ANI found some farmers in various parts of the country who announced their support for the two bills.
In a story from Kanpur, ANI reported that farmers in the district welcomed the new agriculture reform bills.
"We welcome the farm bill but the central govt should think more about the farmers. They should exclude the role of middlemen & take steps to ensure that farmers don't commit suicide," farmers were quoted as saying by ANI.
Here is an ANI tweet:
The tweet failed to convince Twitterati who outrightly declared it propaganda and started finding fault in the story. Here are some reactions from Twitter users.
Earlier on Sunday, ANI tweeted reaction of farmer in Dhule district of Maharashtra who welcomed the new agriculture bills.
"The Bills introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Modi govt has removed all the compulsions that farmers have had for so long. Now we can sell our harvests all over the country," a farmer said.
Meanwhile, 10 central trade announced their support to the nation-wide protest on September 25 by peasants and farm workers.
The joint platform of central trade unions and sectoral federations declares its unstinted support to the initiative of Joint Platform of Peasants and Agricultural Workers Organisations -the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee to hold countrywide protest and resistance on 25th September 2020, the central trade unions said in a joint statement.
"We also join them in protesting against the disastrous Electricity Amendment Bill 2020," the statement said.
The ten trade unions are NTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.
