 "Police, protests")
A day ahead of farmers’ slated protest march to Delhi against the Centre’s farm laws, Haryana on Wednesday heavily barricaded its borders with Punjab and suspended its bus service to the neighbouring state in a bid to foil the march. The police in Delhi, on the other hand, said it has rejected all requests received from various farmer organisations to protest in the national capital.
The police had on Tuesday said legal action would be taken against the protesting farmers if they come to the city for any gathering amid the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.
The Haryana police also used water cannons against the state's farmers on the national highway in Ambala and Kurukshetra to stop them from moving to Delhi.
The BJP-ruled Haryana also suspended its transport bus service to Punjab with immediate effect on Wednesday because of the farmers' “Delhi Chalo” call.
“We have suspended roadways service to Punjab for the next two days,” Haryana Transport Minister Mool Chand Sharma told PTI.
Chandigarh Transport Undertaking too, meanwhile on Wednesday evening, suspended its bus services to Haryana for the next two days amid the farmers “Delhi Chalo” call, said officials.
Braving the cold and rainy weather, thousands of farmers assembled during the day along with their tractor trolleys on the Punjab side of the inter-state border to undertake onward march to Delhi but had to stay put in Punjab amid the heavy police deployment on the border. Haryana will completely seal its borders with Punjab on November 26 and 27, the day for which farmers' bodies have given the call for Delhi Chalo.
Trade union strike
Central trade unions will go on a nationwide strike on Thursday and expect participation of over 250 million workers to protest against various policies of the central government.
Various independent federations and associations are also part of the joint platform.
The ten central unions include Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC) and Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA).
Others are All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress. The BJP-aligned Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh will not participate in the strike.
Bank unions join protest
Banking operations across the country may be impacted on Thursday as some bank unions would be joining the one-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions.
Many lenders, including IDBI Bank and Bank of Maharashtra, in regulatory filings on Wednesday said their normal working could be affected at the branches.
The All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) are participating in the strike.
"Lok Sabha in its recently held session has passed three new labour enactments by dismantling existing 27 enactments in the name of 'Ease of Business', which are purely in the interest of corporates.
