BATHINDA/PATIALA/AMRITSAR/MEERUT/MUZAFFARNAGAR: The call for a Grameen Bharat Bandh drew a response even in Punjab's
urban areas
where a number of business establishments remained shut while public buses did not ply. Several private bus operators, too, suspended operations, inconveniencing commuters.
Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) constituents blocked roads, freed toll plazas and held demonstrations across the state.
Traffic on various national highways, including Bathinda-Chandigarh, Bathinda-Amritsar and Jalandhar-Barnala, was disrupted at a number of places by farmer protests.
In Patiala, the situation was peaceful but the absence of buses caused problems for commuters. Bus stands in Patiala, Sangrur and other districts wore a deserted look. Shops and establishments mostly remained closed between 6 am and 4 pm. However, public transport was inaccessible even after the strike hours.
The bandh call, however, got a mixed response in Amritsar where some marketplaces, such as Hall Bazaar and Katra Jaimal Singh, were shut, but many shops on Lawrence Road and Cooper Road remained open. Despite the bandh, many schools remained open.
In Haryana, following a call by BKU state president Gurnam Singh Charuni, farmers closed several toll plazas in solidarity with their Punjab counterparts who have been camping at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders. The farmers gave free passage to commuters at toll plazas from 12 pm to 3 pm in Jind, Kaithal, Panipat, Karnal, Sonipat, Bhiwani, Hisar, Dadri, Kurukshetra and other districts.
SKM farmers also blocked national highways at different places, including Uchana Kalan in Jind district and Kalayat town in Kaithal, for three hours. They said toll plazas would be made free 24 hours if any action was taken against farmers at borders again.
Several western UP districts witnessed large-scale farmer protests on Friday. Police said the daylong protests remained largely peaceful.