Bharat Bandh: DMK-led Opposition hits the streets in TN, Puducherry

Opposition DMK and its allies including the Congress held protests and took out rallies on Tuesday backing the farmers' nation-wide shutdown call which did not affect normalcy in Tamil Nadu but hit routine in Puducherry.

In the neighbouring UT, ruled by the Congress, the bandh call evoked a near total response with buses, taxis and autos staying off the roads and traders, and other commercial establishments downing shutters to support the shutdown and all the outlets reopened in the evening.

In Tamil Nadu, normalcy was largely unaffected and public and private transportation continued as usual. Shops and businesses were opened and banks and government offices functioned as usual.

Local markets were, however, closed in parts of the state including in Nagapattinam, Erode and Tiruvarur.

In Tirupur, majority of the shops and commercial establishments and knitwear manufacturing units were shut.

CPI(M) affiliated Tamil Nadu Farmers Sangam said the bandh in the state is a complete "success." The Sangam claimed barring Chennai, a majority of shops were closed by traders in all other districts and protests were held in hundreds of locations in which thousands participated.

The TN Government Employees Association, which supported the farmers protest, said it held demonstrations across the state in support of the ryots.

Agitations were held in most regions of the state including Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Coimbatore, Thanjavur, Salem, Tirunelveli, Cuddalore and Puducherry.

DMK's allies including the Congress, the CPI(M), CPI and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi took part in the protests and took out rallies as well in several locations.

Cauvery Urimai Meetpu Kuzhu (Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee), a ryots body joined the protests at Thanjavur.

At Pamban in Ramanathapuram district, a section of fishermen and Communist Party of India activists waved black flags and protested against the farm laws in support of the farmers.

Farmers leader P R Pandian participated in a protest here and said ryots actively participated 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.

He said a resolution would be adopted in the Assembly during the winter session opposing the farm laws.

"The Centre must unconditionally withdraw the three laws immediately," he said.

Tagging a picture of protest, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said under these circumstances, COVID-19 cases in the union territory could see a comeback.

"Medical and enforcement agencies will need to be prepared for this. It is just an alert for the people," she said and appealed to the public to take precautions to avoid the spread of the infection.