Opposition parties back farmers' 'Bharat Bandh' call on December 8

Opposition parties on Sunday declared support to the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call on December 8 by agitating farmers demanding repeal of the farm sector reforms, even as Akali Dal leaders reached out to regional parties to build a coalition against the ruling NDA.

Main opposition party Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, TRS, Trinamool Congress declared their “whole-hearted” support to the nationwide shutdown call and issued directions to party units to hold protests on Tuesday to express solidarity with the farmers.

“I would like to announce that the Congress party extends its whole-hearted support to the Bharat Bandh on December 8,” Pawan Khera, AICC spokesman, told reporters.

Follow live updates on the farmers' protest here

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, Trinamool Congress, Left parties too have declared support to the Bharat Bandh, while Akali Dal, which was an ally of the BJP till September, was reaching out to the regional parties to form a coalition against the ruling NDA.

Support to the farmers swelled with the Indian Tourist Transporters Association and Delhi Goods Transport Association also calling for a strike on December 8.

Boxer Vijender Singh, who was the Congress candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, visited Singhu border, the epicentre of the farmers’ protests for the last 11 days, and declared that he would return the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Puraskar if the Modi government did not repeal the farm laws.

Even after five rounds of deliberations, deadlock on the farm sector reforms persist as the farmers have refused to accept the government's offer to amend certain sections of the three laws and have been insisting on repeal of the laws.

The farmers are protesting against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.