Bar Council of Delhi extends support to Bharat Bandh; protests in court complexes on Dec 8

The Coordination Committee of all Bar Associations of Delhi will stage a protest against the farm laws in all court complexes in the national capital on Tuesday. In a joint press release issued on Monday, the Bar Council of Delhi and the Coordination Committee of all Bar Associations of Delhi extended support to the Bharat Bandh. Calling upon the Centre to consider the genuine demands of the farmers, the lawyers' bodies lamented that the Union government had not consulted the farmers and representatives of the Bar before tabling the agrarian bills.

Describing the farm laws as "arbitrary" and "unjust", the associations contended that they were aimed at providing benefit to big trading companies. They flagged concerns such as the amendment to the Essential Commodities Act, no guarantee of MSP and alleged lacuna in the dispute resolution mechanism. Moreover, they threatened to escalate the agitation across the country if the Union government did not meet the demands of the farmers.

Read: Farmers' Unions State 'Bharat Bandh Till 3 Pm, Will Allow Emergency Services' Amid Protest

Here is the press release:

Read: AAP To Hold Peaceful Demonstration In Support Of Bharat Bandh On Dec 8:Minister Gopal Rai

Support for Bharat Bandh

On December 6, Congress, NCP, People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, CPI(M), CPI(ML), DMK, RJD, SP, CPI and the All India Forward Bloc issued a statement backing the Bharat Bandh. They expressed solidarity with the farmers' protest and demanded the repeal of the three agrarian laws and the Electricity Amendment Bill. Maintaining that the new laws had been passed in Parliament in a "brazen anti-democratic manner", the opposition parties alleged that this would pave the way for destroying Indian agriculture and the scrapping of the MSP.

According to them, this was tantamount to mortgaging agriculture to the caprices of multi-national and domestic corporates. Subsequently, other parties such as BSP, Shiv Sena, AAP, INLD, TRS, and SAD too backed the call for a nationwide shutdown. On the other hand, TMC reiterated their support for the farmers' cause but made it clear that it will not back the Bharat Bandh.

The protesting farmers have been demanding the repeal of The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. 

Read: Fully Support Bharat Bandh On Dec 8, Protests Against Farm Laws To Be Held In J'khand: CM Soren