Lucknow: Barring a few districts in Western Uttar Pradesh, the farmers’ Bharat Bandh, called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), on Friday was a major flop in the remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh.
Except for Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat and Meerut, the other districts in Western Uttar Pradesh did not make any news during Bharat Bandh. These four districts are the nerve centre of farmers’ agitation.
The four districts had also political hotbeds for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress, RLD’s Jayant Chowdhary and Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party to target the Modi government on three Farm Laws.
In Muzaffarnagar, farmers put up tractor trolleys on the national highway to block the traffic for an hour or so. They sat on a dharna and raised anti-government slogans. They demanded withdrawal of the three farm laws. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the district administration and cleared the highway on their own.
In Shamli district, agitating farmers violated Section 144 to block Delhi-Saharanpur highway. A large number of farmers forced shopkeepers to down their shutters. Though some of the agitating farmers tried to damage vehicles plying on roads but their leaders stopped them from indulging in any kind of violence.
Heavy force was deployed at sensitive points in these districts. The Uttar Pradesh Police showed restrictions and avoided any clash with protestors even when provoked.
In Baghpat, farmers blocked three major state and national highways by putting up trolleys and sitting on dharna. They also blocked roads at a toll plaza disrupting traffic for hours. Reports emanating from Meerut claimed that a large number of farmers came out blocking highways leading to Delhi.
Barring minor clashes with locals opposing their agitation, Bharat bandh was by and large peaceful. The ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar said that no vincident of any violence was reported from Western Uttar Pradesh where heavy force was deployed to maintain law and order.
