Bharat Bandh fails to evoke response in Assam

Guwahati, September 27 (PTI): Assam remained unaffected by the Bharat Bandh on Monday as public transport operated as usual, markets were open and offices registered usual attendance.

The opposition Congress, which supported the bandh, did not organise any protest programme in the state.

In Guwahati, members of the SUCI (Communist) took out a protest rally in the morning, raising slogans against the three farm laws.

They were detained by the police near the Ulubari point.

There were no reports of any other protest or demonstration from across the state.

Congress state president Bhupen Bora urged the people to come out on the streets in support of the bandh, but party workers were missing.

Congress spokesperson Bobbeeta Sharma said the party had appealed to the people to spontaneously support the Bandh.

"People should realise themselves how the government is ignoring core issues. The appeal of our state president was to the people to come out on their own to support the farmers'' cause," she said.

The Raijor Dal and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) also extended their support to the bandh.

The 10-hour bandh was called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, demanding repeal of the three farm laws.

The three laws -- The Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 -- were passed by Parliament in September last year.

Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the ''mandi'' and the MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced and asserted that these steps will help increase farmers'' income. PTI SSG