The "MSP Dilao, Kisan Bachao mahapanchayat", called by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni), was being held at a grain market in Pipli close to National Highway-44 which was blocked by farmers a few days ago demanding that the government procure sunflower seed at MSP.
Mumbaikars searched for ways to get out of the many traffic snarls, reports Rediff.com's Hemant Waje who was caught in the traffic blockade for hours during Wednesday's Maharashtra bandh.
The cab owners began their protest a day after the Supreme Court ban on diesel taxis in New Delhi came into effect. The cab drivers blocked traffic on NH-8 at the Rajokri border between Delhi and Gurgaon.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, which is spearheading the protests at Delhi border points, distributed handbills in Hindi to commuters on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway near Haryana-Rajasthan borders, where hundreds of farmers have been camping for almost past three weeks now, to convey their apology, and also reiterate their demand for legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price.
The Delhi Police on Thursday began removing barricades put up at the Tikri border where thousands of farmers are protesting against the Centre's three agri laws, a senior officer said.
The shutdown generated tension in Mumbai and a number of towns and cities across Maharashtra.
Drivers of commercial vehicles, including trucks and tankers, stopped work in several states on Monday and blocked roads at some places to protest against the provision in the new penal law regarding hit-and-run accident cases involving motorists.
Farmers from Punjab clashed with Haryana police at two border points between the states on Tuesday, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break past barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital. The police lobbed tear gas shells -- some of them dropped from a drone -- and tried to disperse groups of stone-pelting protesters in the face-off that last several hours at Shambhu border near Ambala in Haryana.
Agitators squatted on railway tracks at various places, leading to cancellation, short-termination and diversion of several trains.
How can highways be blocked perpetually, the Supreme Court wondered on Thursday while referring to road blockades by farmers protesting at Delhi borders against the three farm laws passed last year, and said it is the executive's duty to implement the law laid down by the court.
Students created a ruckus on university and college campuses in several cities in Rajasthan, including Jaipur, on Monday during the filing of nominations for students' union elections scheduled to be held on August 26, the police said.
Heavy rains on Wednesday morning caused water-logging in many areas and massive traffic jams in Hyderabad, leading to people stuck on the roads.
Farmers protesting the Centre's three farm laws on Saturday blocked the six-lane Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway at some places in Haryana to mark the completion of 100 days of their agitation at the Delhi borders.
Farmers said that they never blocked roads at the Delhi border points.
The Valley, which was brought under a virtual curfew with communication networks snapped on August 5 after the government abrogated special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has seen little difference in the last seven weeks as public transport is still not available and schools waiting for students to collect assignments.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday warned that it would pass orders for creating special courts to try agitators blocking rail and road traffic as they paralyse normal public activities resulting in untold hardships to people.
Delhi police commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Sunday said over 27,000 police personnel have been deployed for Republic Day security duties in the national capital and anti-terror measures intensified.
The move came after the Delhi high court directed the police to look into the traffic restrictions on this stretch.
Sporadic incidents of arson were on Monday reported as life in violence-torn Haryana limped back to normal with curfew being lifted gradually and Jat protesters starting to lift blockades after the Bharatiya Janata Party announced setting up of a committee to examine the quota demand of the community.
The plea has sought the apex court directions to the authorities to open the roads at Delhi borders, shift these protestors to allotted place and provide guidelines on social distancing and use of mask at the protest place to contain spread of COVID-19 cases.
In the North Western Railway (NWR) zone, rail traffic was affected in some sections in Rajasthan and Haryana with 18 trains cancelled, 10 partially cancelled and one diverted due to the protest.
The farmers threatened to intensify their agitation and block more roads if the government did not accept their demand.
During this time of the year, potatoes and vegetables come from Punjab and Haryana.
Farmers had threatened to block other roads of Delhi in the coming days if the new agriculture laws are not scrapped soon.
Protests against the killing of a Hindu school teacher in Kulgam continued to rock several parts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir on the second consecutive day on Wednesday.
On Monday, the agitators blocked NH-11 and continued their blockade from previous days at other places. Since the agitation began on Friday, it has affected the movement of more than 250 trains.
Around 10 people were injured Saturday as police allegedly lathi-charged a group of farmers disrupting traffic movement on a highway while heading towards Karnal to protest against a BJP meeting.
The call for the agitation was given by the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti. According to police, youths in large numbers blocked a rail track in Bharatpur's Bayana.
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by residents of Sonipat seeking opening of the roads connecting Delhi and Haryana at Singhu border here, which have been blocked by farmers protesting against three agri laws and asked the petitioners to approach the High Court.
Hazare has been on a hunger strike since Wednesday demanding appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
Violence broke out on Sunday near Kallakurichi as protesters demanding justice over the death of a girl student went on a rampage setting fire to vehicles and indulged in stone pelting, in which police personnel also became the target.
'That she drove 20 km in 9 minutes is rubbish.'
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Bijendra Kumar Yadav said farmers have formally declared that they will start returning home from Saturday onwards, but it is not a time bound exercise as their movement will keep progressing through the day.
Thousands of people, including women and children, are protesting for over a month at Shaheen Bagh.
Police also said that people will have to adhere to all Covid-protocols, such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing, at the programme on Rajpath on January 26.
Even media persons covering the agitation manage to reach the protest sites with difficulty as they first have to pass through checking and then cross multiple layers of barricading. A Bharatiya Kisan Union office-bearer at Ghazipur border, which now resembles a highly-secured fortress, said despite the odds, supporters from far-off places are reaching the site to express solidarity with farmers.
Stepping up the agitation for introduction of a bill for formation of Telangana state in the budget session of Parliament, activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Bharatiya Janata Party, and several other organisations staged road blockades across the region on Monday.
On Sunday, Rajya Sabha passed the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.
The protesters have been demanding repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a forum comprising 40 farmer unions, called for a Bharat Bandh on Monday against the Centre's three agriculture laws. Here is its impact across the country:
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