JMM, Congress block highways in Jharkhand in support of farmers' stir

Activists of the ruling JMM andCongress and various Left parties on Saturday blocked nationalhighways in various parts of Jharkhand in support of thefarmers' agitation.

The normal flow of traffic was disrupted in severalareas but no untoward incident was reported.

National highways were blocked at various places inseveral districts like Palamu, Deoghar, Dhanbad, Hazaribag,Ranchi and Koderma for some time from noon, Inspector Generalof Police Saket Kumar Singh said.

The programmes were peaceful and no untoward incidentwas reported from any location, he said.

JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya claimed that theentire state was closed down in favour of the farmers' stirand the common people extended their support to the programme.

''The Centre is trying to strangle the farmers but wewill not allow them to succeed,'' he said.

Congress state working president Rajesh Thakurdescribed the blockade programme as a complete success andcriticised the BJP-led government at the Centre for ''tramplingupon the rights of the farmers''.

BJP spokesperson Shivpujan Pathak claimed that theprogramme was a complete failure and people of the country arestanding by the Modi government whereas opposition parties arenot getting the support of the farmers anywhere.