Gujarat CM asserts 'Bandh won't be successful in state'; blames Cong for inciting farmers

The Bharat Bandh call issued by the farmers shall not be successful in Gujarat, asserted Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. Addressing a press briefing on Monday, Rupani claimed that farmers and Agricultural Produce Market Committees in the state had not extended support to the Bharat Bandh. He lamented that multiple political parties in the country had decided to participate in the shutdown on Tuesday.

Accusing Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi of inciting farmers, he recalled that the Congress party had itself promised to repeal the APMC Act in its 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto. Citing Congress' recent loss in the Gujarat by-elections, Rupani contended that the party did not enjoy the support of farmers. Moreover, the Gujarat CM assured that his government had made arrangements to ensure that no violence takes place during the bandh. 

Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani remarked, "The farmers and APMCs in Gujarat are not supporting (Bharat Bandh). Recently, Congress has lost the elections very badly in rural areas. This is not the situation in Gujarat. This bandh will not be successful tomorrow. The government has made arrangements to ensure that no violent incident takes place during the bandh." 

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Opposition parties back Bharat Bandh call

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. 

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