Amid Kisan Bharat Bandh, PM Modi says 'can't build new century with old laws'

The Farmers' Protest protest against the three agricultural laws of the Central Government is continuing today for the 13th day. And today the farmers have called for a nationwide 'Bharat Bandh'. Several political parties, including the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Shiv Sena are supporting this move.

The bandh will start at 11 AM and will go on till 3 PM so as to not disturb other members of the society. This move comes after the failed fifth round of talks between the government and the farmers' leaders which happened on Saturday but both the parties couldn't reach an agreement. Following the bandh, the farmers have blocked the National Highway 24. After which, the Delhi-Ghaziabad main road was closed and police force was deployed there to control the situation.

Speaking on the matter, many major Congress leaders have released statements supporting the farmers. Former Congress President, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Modi ji, kisano se chori band karo. Sabhi deshwashi jaante hai ki aaj bharat bandh hai. Iska sampurna samarthan karke hamare annadaata ke sangharsh ko safal banaye."

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said supporting the bandh, "It is no political Bandh. It's our sentiment. Farmer organizations agitating in Delhi aren't carrying any political flag. It is our duty to stand in unity with farmers and stay connected to their sentiments. There is no politics here and there shouldn't be."

There's been no formal statement by PM Modi regarding the Kisan Bharat Bandh but during the video conference of the launch of the Agra metro rail project, he said, “Reforms are needed for development. Reforms are very much needed for a new order and to give new facilities. We cannot build the next century with the laws of the previous century."

“Some laws that used to be good in the past century have become a burden in the present century. Reforms should be a continuous process,” he added.

Apart from political parties, the Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association has come out in support of the Bharat Bandh. The Delhi Taxi Tourist Transporters Association President said, "On December 8, we will not run our taxis and buses and peacefully show our solidarity in making the farmers' movement successful by making the Bharat Bandh a success."

There would be another dialogue between the farmers' representative and the government on 9th December. The farmers have asserted that the protest will continue if the government doesn't repeal the three farm laws, calling them anti-farmer laws.