Bharatiya Kisan Union national spokesperson Chaudhary Rakesh Tikait orgsed a 'chakka jam' (road blockade) in the state from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday against the farm Bills that were recently passed in Parliament despite objection from opposition parties.
"Peaceful protests will be carried out in the districts of Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Bijnor, Shamli, Saharanpur and Ghaziabad. Highways will be blocked for all vehicles except ambulances and other emergency vehicles," Tikait said.
He further said nine points will be closed in Muzaffarnagar. The Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun road and the Ppat Khatima Highway will also remain closed.
Tikait further urged all farmers participating in the protest to maintain social distancing and wear masks due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While Haryana and Punjab continue to witness the most prominent protests as part of the nation-wide 'Bharat Bandh', there has also been active participation from farmer unions and opposition parties in Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha among other states.
According to the Centre, these Bills will help small and marginal farms by allowing them to sell their produce outside mandis and sign agreements with agri-business firms and doing away with stock-holding limits on key commodities.
The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 were passed by Parliament on Sunday despite objection from the opposition.
( With inputs from ANI )
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