Strike over new farm laws across India today

Thousands of farmers on Tuesday gathered on Delhi's borders to protest against the three farm laws enacted in September and have given a call for a country-wide strike. 

The Centre has issued an advisory asking all states and Union Territories to make adequate arrangements to prevent any trouble, reports the Hindustan Times. 

Several states —those governed by political rivals of the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — have backed the bandh and made public their support for peaceful protests against three contentious laws that the farmers are protesting.

On Tuesday, travel may be affected in several parts of the country with a section of cab and taxi unions supporting the bandh. Several traders at mandis, too, have decided to join the agitation.

The Delhi Police on Monday said that they will take strict legal action against persons who would try to disrupt movement of traffic or people or forcefully close shops during the Tuesday's Bharat Bandh. 

Nearly 4,000 traffic personnel and thousands of security personnel will be deployed on the borders and the city roads to regulate the traffic and avoid any untoward incidents. 

Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava said Section 144 of the Code of Criminal procedure (CrPC), prohibiting gathering of people, is already in place in the entire city.

"Our maximum strength will be on roads and an elaborate traffic and security arrangement has been put in place for the nationwide strike. Nobody will be allowed to take the law in his or her hands," said Shrivastava.

In a statement issued on Monday, the city police have appealed to everyone not to disrupt the life of common citizens and residents of Delhi during the strike.

As the city police have been receiving inputs that the farmers protesting at various borders in outer and east Delhi may attempt to block more borders or would try to cross over into Delhi, a "contingency plan" has been prepared to avoid traffic chaos and inconvenience to commuters. Of the 4,000 traffic personnel, a majority of them will be deployed on the borders that are either closed or affected due to the farmers' protest.

On Monday evening, senior police officers held a briefing of all the traffic personnel who will be on duty Tuesday and explained the contingency plans. All the traffic circle inspectors were informed about their place of deployment and given a list of the alternative borders and routes through which the movement of vehicles between Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh will be passed if the main borders are blocked by the protesting farmers of workers of the political parties and various unions that have extended support to the nationwide strike, said a senior traffic police officer.

Seven borders that are completely closed due to the farmers' protest are Singhu, Tikri, Auchandi, Jharoda, Piao Maniyari, and Mangesh in outer and south-western parts of the city and Chilla border, connecting Delhi and Noida, in east Delhi. Apart from these points, the Delhi-Meerut expressway at Ghazipur-Ghaziabad (UP Gate) border is closed for vehicles coming to Delhi from Ghaziabad side, while the opposite carriageway through which vehicles move towards Ghaziabad is open. The service road of NH-24 at the UP gate border is also closed as the protesting farmers have occupied it for the past 10 days.

Senior officials said drone cameras will be used to keep surveillance on the protesting farmers and those who will be participating in the strike. The offices of the various political parties that are supporting the strike are also being monitored.