Bandh effective in C'garh's cities, BJP says govt imposed it

The protest in the state capital was led by Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Mohan Markam, who was seen atop a tractor at Jai Stambh Chowk.Chief Minister Baghel held a press conference in the afternoon at Rajiv Bhawan and demanded that the Centre apologize to farmers for enacting the three black farm laws and withdraw them.

Major cities in Chhattisgarh wore a deserted look on Tuesday morning with most business establishments remaining closed as part of the `Bharat Bandh' called by farmers against the Centre's new agriculture laws. The opposition BJP, however, accused the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government of enforcing an ''administrative shutdown''.

Congress Leaders including MLAs came out on the streets at many places in Raipur and appealed people to express solidarity with protesting farmers. Almost all business establishments, except some medicine stores, remained closed till 2 pm while public transport vehicles were off the roads in several cities, including Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon.

Police officials said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state till late afternoon. The protest in the state capital was led by Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Mohan Markam, who was seen atop a tractor at Jai Stambh Chowk.

Chief Minister Baghel held a press conference in the afternoon at Rajiv Bhawan and demanded that the Centre apologize to farmers for enacting the three ''black'' farm laws and withdraw them. ''For the last two weeks, farmers have been agitating by surrounding Delhi and all farmers' unions have been supporting it. Without consulting farmers' unions and political parties, the Centre has enacted these three black laws,'' the CM said.

The laws are meant to benefit corporate houses and finish off the APMC, minimum support price (MSP) and mandi mechanisms, he alleged. ''Earlier, the British looted the country and now the businessmen friends of the government at the Centre are trying to loot the nation. If the BJP was on farmers' side, it would not have imposed these laws,'' he said.

He said the Congress wanted the Centre to enact a law to ensure farmers get MSP for their produce irrespective of who they sell it to. ''The BJP should not be adamant. It should apologize to farmers for this mistake. It should convene a special session of Parliament and repeal the three laws,'' Baghel said.

At least 36 organizations of farmers and labourers led by the Chhattisgarh Kisan Majdoor Mahasangh (CKMM) staged protests in various districts, Sanket Thakur, member of the CKMM's convener board, said. ''The Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industries and transport associations supported the Bandh...In Raipur, farmers gathered at Budha Talab dharna sthal and took out a rally,'' Thakur said.

He also claimed that farmers did not sell their paddy stock at procurement centres till 3 pm. Emergency services like hospitals, ambulances, fire brigade and medicine shops were exempted from the shutdown.

State BJP chief Vishnudeo Sai accused the Congress of misleading farmers. The `Bharat Bandh' was an ''administrative shutdown on the direction of the ruling Congress'', he alleged.