Bharat bandh call evokes mixed response in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 8

High drama was witnessed when the police resorted to a lathicharge to quell protesters who tried to lock the local BJP office in Sector 33 here today.

Protesting against the new farm laws, members of various youth organisations clashed with the police when they were stopped from marching towards the BJP office. The police used water cannons and resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the protesters, who tried to break the police barricades. Some protesters also tried to damage a water cannon vehicle. Several protesters received minor injuries when the police used force to disperse them.

Gopal Singh Sidhu, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Chandigarh, said the protesters had started marching from a gurdwara in Sector 34 towards the Sector 33/34 light point. “We wanted to stage a peaceful protest by burning an effigy of the Prime Minister.

Various trader unions, opposition parties and other organisations extended support to the bandh and protests were reported from various parts of the city.

Members of various trade unions, including the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the All India Trade Union Congress, the All India Central Council of Trade Unions and the Central Trader Union, Punjab, staged a protest at the Sector 17 Plaza against the Centre.

Naseeb Jhakhar, state president, INTUC, Chandigarh, and other leaders, including Rajkumar, Kawaljeet Singh and Inderjit Grewal, demanded immediate repealing of the three farm laws.

Members of the CTU Workers Union staged a dharna at the ISBT-17 from noon to 2 pm.

Thin traffic on roads

Below normal traffic was witnessed in the city. People were not sure if the markets would be open and preferred to stay home. Maninder Singh of Mani Majra said he had to go to Sector 17 with a cousin, who had arrived from Nalagarh, for shopping, but had to delay it for a day assuming the market would be closed due to the protest.

AAP stages protest

• The local unit of the Aam Aadmi Party staged a protest in support of the farmers near Kiran Cinema in Sector 22.
• Party convener Prem Garg alleged that the ‘anti-farmer black laws’ had been enacted to force farmers to sell off their land and themselves to capitalists.
• The BJP came into power making big promises on the welfare of farmers, but after coming to power, they allegedly conspired to crush the farmers and grab their land rather than strengthening the MSP as proposed by the Swaminathan Commission, Garg said.