Kapil Mishra calls Delhi Bharat Bandh 'flop'; Amit Malviya calls Farm acts 'gamechangers'

The Delhi Police on Tuesday beefed up security at all border points and made arrangements to maintain law and order across the city, including market places, in view of the 'Bharat Bandh' called by farmer unions against the Centre's new agri laws. Meanwhile, BJP leader Kapil Mishra claimed that vendors from the fruits and vegetable markets in the national capital have called him and expressed that they want the markets to operate.

He alleged that the CM Kejriwal-appointed Mandi chairman is giving instructions for the shutdown. Tagging Delhi Police and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, he requested them to stop the markets from being forcibly closed. In another tweet, a few hours later, Kapil Mishra said that the markets have opened in Okhla and Azadpur and business is going on. He claimed that every market and industrial area of Delhi will remain open and declared the Bandh in the national capital as "flop."

'Flop Bandh in Delhi'

Azadpur mandi, one of the largest wholesale markets for fruits and vegetables in the country, along with all others in the national capital will remain shut on Tuesday in support of the Bharat bandh, called by farmers, its chairman Adil Ahmed Khan had said. However, this has turned out to not completely be the case.

'Who wants to limit farmers' choice?'

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya on Tuesday called the contentious farm laws "game changers" and claimed that they will transform the agriculture sector. "The acts will raise farmers’ income besides reduce the transportation charges and increase transparency. The Acts would make the farmers independent of government-controlled markets and fetch them a better price for their produce," he said in a tweet. "Who wants to limit farmers’ choice?" he asked.

Farmer unions on December 4 decided to intensify their agitation, stating that they were not satisfied with the amendments to the agricultural legislation being proposed by the government. "The bandh will be observed throughout Tuesday. We will also observe a chakka jam (road blockade) till 3 pm," said Darshan Pal, Punjab unit president of the Krantikari Kisan Union, had said on Monday.

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

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