The Bharat Bandh called by farmers’ groups made widespread impact in Rajasthan on Tuesday, with all the 247 Krishi Upaj Mandis in the State as well as shops and commercial establishments in major cities remaining closed. Roadways buses, trucks and mini buses remained off the roads, as the bandh was supported by the ruling Congress.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) took out a march from Shaheed Smarak to markets in the Walled City and appealed to the shopkeepers to pull down their shutters. Members of the Left-leaning organisations, taking part in the march, expressed solidarity with the farmers protesting on the outskirts of Delhi.
Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas, along with party workers, visited several areas in Jaipur city on a tractor in support of the bandh. The rally, led by Mr. Khachariawas, passed through several markets, including Mirza Ismail Road, Sodala and in the Walled City area. Some shops in the markets of cities such as Jodhpur, Bikaner, Ajmer, Alwar, Sikar, Kota and Udaipur opened in the morning but were later shut. Jaipur’s Muhana Mandi president Rahul Tanvar said there were no business transactions in the mandi and the small vegetable mandis in the city were also closed.
Farmers in Kota and Bundi districts observed a day’s fast. Hadoti Kisan Union general secretary Dashrath Kumar said there was overwhelming response to the call to observe fast.
Workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and the National Students’ Union of India clashed outside the BJP State headquarters here. NSUI spokesperson Ramesh Bhati said the clash started when BJYM members hit some of the protesters “without any provocation”.
