The Delhi-Meerut Highway was blocked by farmers till 3:00 pm as part of today's 'Bharat Bandh' - a nationwide shutdown called by farmers who are protesting against the Centre's new farm laws. Farmers have blocked the National Highway 24, which connects Delhi and Meerut via Ghaziabad, at Ghazipur-Ghaziabad (UP Gate) border. However, the farmers are allowing emergency service vehicles to pass through the blockade. Despite a huge police presence at the border, farmers have not backed down and continue to occupy the roads.
The farmers, who have been protesting against the Centre's new farm laws, have gathered at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh Ghazipur border for the past 12 days.
The traffic situation in Delhi continues to remain affected by the farmers' protest as multiple inter-state borders between the National Capital and neighbouring states have been blocked by the protesting farmers.
Meanwhile, at the Singhu border between Haryana and Delhi, a huge force of security personnel has been deployed in the wake of the nationwide 'Bharat Bandh'.
Other borders like Auchandi, Piao Maniyari, Mangesh, Tikri, Dhansa and Jharoda are also closed. The traffic police also informed that the National Highway (NH)-44 is closed from both sides, while Jhatikara and Badusarai borders are open only for two-wheelers and pedestrians.
Apart from the National Capital, normal life has been affected in other cities such as Mumbai and Lucknow where major markets have been closed as part of today's 'Bharat Bandh'.
Farmers, who are protesting at Delhi's borders for the past 12 days against the recently enacted three contentious farm laws, had called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8, Tuesday. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, had planned to block all roads leading to Delhi.
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