Left parties support farmer organisations’ call for Bharat Bandh on Dec 8

The Left parties condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its "malicious campaign on preposterous charges" against the farmers.

New Delhi: The Left parties on Saturday extended their support to the farmer organisations’ call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ on December 8 and urged other opposition parties to join forces against the recent farm laws.

The parties, including Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist Party and All India Forward Bloc, also extended their solidarity with the ongoing agitation by farmers.

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The Left parties condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its “malicious campaign on preposterous charges” against the farmers, who it said are struggling to safeguard Indian agriculture and the country’s food security. They also supported their demand to scrap the three farm laws and demanded the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020, be also scrapped.

The Left parties appeal to all other political parties and forces who stand with the farmers’ cause and have demanded the repeal of these laws to extend their support and cooperation to the December 8 bandh call, the parties said in a joint statement.

This comes as farmer unions have decided to intensify their agitation against the farm laws calling for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on December 8. The farmer organisations said they were not satisfied with amendments being proposed by the government in their meetings.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for over a week now against the three farm laws. Meanwhile, the Centre is engaging with farmers to settle their differences.

The 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.