Normal life mostly unaffected in TN; Puducherry gets hit

Chennai: The “Bharat Bandh” supported by DMK and allied parties was a partial success in Tamil Nadu as normal life was unhindered in any of the major cities in the state, though the Left parties and other political parties staged protest and courted arrest in the cities like Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, and Erode and Tanjore districts. 

Close to 2,000 cadres and farmers were arrested in Delta areas like Pudukkottai, Thiruvarur, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore districts for staging protest and road roko. Shops remained closed in most of the agrarian dependent districts. Public transport remained unaffected in the state. At least one lakh police personnel were deployed in the state for security and 7,000 police were deployed in Chennai City alone.

In a protest staged by the DMK and its allied parties in Saidapet, hundreds of cadres took part in the protest and demanded immediate withdrawal of the farm laws. While addressing the media, CPM state secretary K. Balakrishnan said: “People will teach a lesson to the political parties which support the BJP government and their farm laws.” 

In Congress-ruled Puducherry, around 25,000 shops were shut and public transport was off the roads as a support to the Bharat Bandh called by the farmers. Even private bus and auto, tempo operators extended support to the bandh. Holiday was declared in schools in Puducherry as public transport was not available.

The massive protest near the New Bus Stop in Puducherry was headed by the Chief Minister. He said that the government will pass legislation against the farm laws in the Assembly during the next session. As many as 1,000 police personnel were deployed for security purposes in the state and the bandh ended without any incidents.

Tamil Nadu BJP has kick-started a programme called “Modi Vivasaigalin Nanban (Farmers’ Friend Modi)” to reach the doorstep of the farmers to explain about the benefits of the farm laws.