Fact Check: Was Bharat Band successful as claimed by Rakesh Tikait

News Claim: Rakesh Tikait claimed that the Bharat Bandh was a success, he received public support.

Viral message on WhatsApp today, Social Media claims:  

Bharat Bandh was a 'success', received public support: says BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

News Verification: The effect of Bharat Bandh on Monday against three agricultural laws was visible in some places of Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. At the same time, there was some effect of the bandh in Bihar, UP, Rajasthan and many states of the south, as the participation of political parties was more here. In Delhi and elsewhere, farmers also distanced themselves from political parties; an example of this was also visible in Delhi. Where Delhi Congress state president Anil Chaudhary was asked by the farmers to leave the protest site.

किसानों का अहिंसक सत्याग्रह आज भी अखंड है
लेकिन शोषण करने वाली सरकार को ये नहीं पसंद है
इसलिए #आज_भारत_बंद_है pic.twitter.com/iiMHKjzYuh

— Rakesh Tikait (राकेश टिकैत) (@tikaitrakesh) September 27, 2021

There was a jam in Delhi-NCR, farmers sitting on the roads on Monday morning due to the shutdown at many places in Delhi-NCR, there was a long jam on the roads. In view of the Bharat Bandh, the Ghaziabad Police had closed the National Highway connecting Ghaziabad and Nizamuddin. At the same time, farmers gathered in large numbers near the Noida Authority for their demands and broke the police barricading. In Haryana's Palwal, farmers blocked the Delhi-Mathura National Highway. Due to the bandh, several kilometres of the jam was seen on the Delhi-Gurugram highway. In the morning, there was a traffic jam on the Delhi-Gurugram highway for several kilometres, the effect of which was visible till the evening.

In view of the farmers' protest and bandh, the Delhi Police was very alert. Especially on the way to the Red Fort. The road leading to the Red Fort was closed on both sides. No vehicle was allowed on this route. Buses plying on this route were diverted. In view of the commotion that had taken place during the movement at the Red Fort last time, the police looked a bit more cautious. At the same time, some metro stations also had to be closed due to the bandh. Traffic was affected on DND. Ghazipur border has been closed for vehicular movement. There was an atmosphere of chaos on one side of the national highway coming from the Ghazipur border to Sarai Kale Khan near Akshardham temple.

Leaders of opposition parties who came in support of the bandh in UP-Bihar

Many opposition parties also supported the Bharat Bandh. Demonstrations took place in some districts of UP, while former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav said – Samyukta Kisan Morcha's Bharat Bandh has the full support of SP. At the same time, Akhilesh Yadav also said that the farmers' movement has started becoming a cause of breakdown within the BJP. In Bihar, RJD workers were seen protesting in some districts including Patna. In Bihar, the parties of the Grand Alliance, RJD, Congress and Left parties also supported this bandh. Tejashwi Yadav has said that we are with the farmers in this movement. All the parties of the Grand Alliance are with him. In Patna, RJD workers demonstrated in support of the Bharat Bandh. During this, RJD workers blocked Gandhi Setu and also set fire to it.

The impact of the bandh in the southern states

Many organizations protested against three agricultural laws and supported the Bharat Bandh in the town hall of Bengaluru. The effect of Bharat Bandh was also seen in Kerala. Trade unions affiliated with LDF and UDF had supported the Bharat Bandh called against the three agricultural laws. Due to this, shops in Thiruvananthapuram remained closed and the roads were less crowded than daily. However, the situation started returning to normal in the afternoon.

The effect of the bandh was visible in some districts including the agricultural-dominated Ganganagar and Hanumangarh of Rajasthan. Major mandis and markets remained closed here. Peasants organized rallies on major roads and held meetings. The effect of the bandh was also seen in many districts of Punjab. Protests were held on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track in Devidaspur here. It also affected rail traffic.

When the Congress state president was asked by the farmers to rise from the protest site,

Delhi Congress state president Anil Chaudhary reached the Ghazipur border on Monday in support of the farmers protesting against the agricultural laws. Describing it as a non-political demonstration, the protesters asked them to get up from the protest site. At the same time, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said- 'It is sad that on his (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) birthday, farmers have to call for Bharat Bandh. If the farmers will not be heard even in independent India, then where will they be heard? I appeal to the central government to accept their demands at the earliest. At the same time, news of the death of a farmer due to a heart attack also came to light on the Singhu border of Delhi-Haryana. According to the police, the farmer died of a heart attack.

News verdict: Not much success