Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy on Monday said that his party stands with protesting farmers but will not support Bharat Bandh in West Bengal.
"Trinamool Congress (TMC) stands with agitating farmers but we will not support Bharat bandh in West Bengal. It (bandh) goes against our principle," he said.
Opposition parties, including many regional outfits, on Sunday came out in strong support of the 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8 called by farmer unions which have been protesting on Delhi's borders for 11 days demanding the repeal of the Centre's new agri-marketing laws.
Prominent leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, DMK chief M K Stalin and PAGD chairman Farooq Abdullah also issued a joint statement backing the proposed day-long strike and pressed the Centre to meet the legitimate demands of the protesters.
Other opposition parties including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Shiv Sena and National Congress Party (NCP) have also extended their support for the 'Bharat Bandh' call.
Even, Sukhbir Singh Badal led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to protest against farm laws, has also announced to lend its support to Bharat Bandh.
Hundreds of farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws--Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Farmers' leaders have held several rounds of talks with the government but all of them remained inconclusive so far. After the fifth round of talks, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has called another meeting on December 9.
(Inputs from Agencies)
