 "Bharat Bandh, Award 'Wapsi', Kejriwal visit: Updates on farmers' protest")
Amid the ongoing farmers' protest, former national boxing coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu has decided to return his Dronacharya Award to show solidarity with agitating farmers. Notably, on December 3, former Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal returned the Padma Vibhushan award "in protest" against the "betrayal of the farmers by the Government of India". Later on December 4, Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) Chief and rebel Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa returned the Padma Bhushan award to "express solidarity" with protesting farmers. India's first Olympic medallist in boxing and Congress leader Vijender Singh also threatened to return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the central government does not withdraw the new farm legislations, which he dubbed as "black laws".
Thousands of farmers protesting against the Centre's new agri laws for the past 11 days have called on people to join their 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday in large numbers, as police increased deployment at various Delhi border points. Farmer leaders also welcomed the support of political parties to the nationwide strike against the laws and demanded that the legislations be repealed. The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI(M) and DMK are among the political parties that are backing the day-long strike.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday alleged that the Centre tried to "pressure" the Delhi government to convert the nine stadiums into temporary prisons during the farmers' 'Dilli Chalo' protest. Kejriwal's remarks come as he arrived at Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial near the Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana border) to meet the protesting farmers and inspect the arrangements made for them. Speaking to the media, he said that despite the Centre's pressure, the Delhi government did not proceed with the Delhi Police's request to convert stadiums into temporary prisons as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) believes that all the concerns of the farmers are legitimate.
The protests have disrupted normal lives in Delhi-NCR as several borders linking Delhi to cities in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are closed. As the ongoing farmers' agitation at Burari, Singhu and Tikri borders entered day 12, the Delhi Traffic Police on Monday issued an advisory for commuters as multiple borders between Delhi and neighbouring states remained closed for traffic. The Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic alert closing the National Highway (NH) 44 on both sides in the national capital region. Commuters have been asked to take alternate routes via Lampur, Safiabad, Saboli borders and avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK road and NH-44.
Scotland Yard has reportedly made a number of arrests after it warned of enforcement action ahead of thousands of protesters from different parts of the UK gathering outside the Indian High Commission in central London on Sunday, as a show of support for farmers demonstrating against agricultural reforms in India. Several police officers in face masks descended upon Aldwych to police the We stand with farmers of Punjab demonstration, having warned that strict regulations remain in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and therefore demonstrations of larger than 30 risk arrests and fines.