NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, DEC 8
Opposition DMK and its allies including the Congress held protests across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Tuesday as part of the farmers call for ”Bharat Bandh”, demanding the Centre to repeal the three farm laws.
CPIM Puducherry state secretary comrade R. Rajangam sloganeering.
"A broker for Ambani/Adani…
is the PM of India… The working class wakes up and will not be fooled.Corporate friendly laws are Anti-Worker laws."#BharatBandh#FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/DP7u3kjJzn
— CPI(M) Puducherry ☭ (@pycpim) December 8, 2020
In the union territory, ruled by the Congress, the bandh call evoked a near total response with buses, taxis and autos staying off the roads and traders, retail outlets and other commercial establishments downing shutters to support the shutdown while government offices saw thin attendance.
In Tamil Nadu, public and private transportation and normal life was largely unaffected barring traffic congestions in the vicinity of protest locations.
Demonstrations were held at several regions including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur, Cuddalore and neighbouring Puducherry in which farmers bodies and DMK’s allies including the Congress, the CPI (M), CPI and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi took part.
Farmers leader P R Pandian participated in a protest near Valluvar Kottam in Chennai and said ryots were actively engaged in demonstrations across the state. Cadres, waving flags of their parties, gathered at important locations and shouted slogans against the union government’s farm laws alleging the new legislations only favoured the corporate entities and not the farmers and sought its immediate withdrawal.
Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, extending solidarity to the bandh, visited the protest venue at Puducherry and said agriculture came under the state list of Constitution and the union government should have consulted states before rushing with the laws. “The Centre must unconditionally withdraw the three laws immediately,” he said.