Farmers threaten Bharat Bandh on Dec 8

New Delhi: The protesting farmers on the outskirts of Delhi on Friday threatened to observe Bharat Bandh against the centre’s new agricultural laws. They have threatened to block all the entry points at Delhi borders and occupy all the highway gates and prevent the government to collect toll as part of their all-India strike. The decision was announced by Harinder Singh Lakhowal, who is the general secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU).

The ongoing protests against the new farm laws entered its ninth day on Friday with farmers intensifying their agitation after crucial talks with the Centre failed to end the deadlock on Thursday.

A representative group of agitating farmers held a marathon meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, to resolve the ongoing impasse over the three contentious farm laws. However, the seven-hour meeting failed to yield any breakthrough as the farmers’ leaders refused to budge on their demands.

Another round of discussions between the Centre and the farmers’ group is scheduled to take place on Saturday in a bid to find a resolution.