There has been widespread opposition to the Farm Acts, with farmer groups and various political parties staging protests across the country, and in the various south Indian states. Protests are being held in various parts of the country on Monday as well, which comes after the President gave his assent to the Bills.
Karnataka farmers called for a Bandh on Monday against Union governments for passing three controversial bills related to agriculture, and two passed by the state Assembly on Saturday. The strike between 6 am to 6 pm is also supported by various labour unions, pro-Kannada organisations and opposition parties like the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular). Farmers are staging sit-ins and road rokos in various districts of the state.
In Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies are holding protests at Valluvar Kottam, Chennai on Monday against the Acts. Protests are also being held across districts in Tamil Nadu. DMK President M K Stalin was seen taking part in protests against the laws in Keezhambi village, Kanchipuram. Stalin said that the party was holding protests across 3,400 spots in the state. “We are ready to go to court over farm Bills,” he said.
In Kerala, protests were organised in over 250 centres on Friday by the Samyuktha Karshaka Samithi as part of the nationwide protests. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also said that the state was exploring legal options. Two Kerala CPI(M) MPs, Elamaram Kareem and K K Ragesh, are among the eight MPs who were suspended by the Rajya Sabha for creating a ruckus when the Bills were passed through a voice vote.
Farmers in Telangana have also been holding protests for the past week. Protests were organized on Friday as a part of the Bharat Bandh under the banner of the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) with support from Left parties, Congress and trade unions.
Protests were held in Andhra Pradesh too by CPI(M) workers on Friday as a part of the Bharat Bandh. The ruling YSRCP had backed the bills in the Parliament.
Opposition groups have been organising sustained protests across the country while Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the oldest alliance partners of the BJP quit the NDA over the bills.