Shops will be closed across Maharashtra today as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government declared a bandh in solidarity with farmers in Uttar Pradesh, a week after eight people were killed in violence during a farmers' protest in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri.
The bandh is supported by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, which comprises the Shiv Sena, Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP. In fact, the bandh was declared by the state government during a joint press conference of the three parties.
"I appeal to Maharashtra's 12 crore people to assist the farmers. Support entails everyone joining the bandh and taking a day off from work "Nawab Malik, a minister from Maharashtra, said reporters.
Everything will be closed, except for essential services, according to the state government. The Agricultural Produce Market Committee, or sabzi mandi, will also be closed.
Sanjay Raut, the leader of the Shiv Sena, has stated that his party will be there in "full force" during the bandh. "The bandh wil bel vigorously participated in by all three parties. What happened at Lakhimpur Kheri was a constitutional murder, a violation of the law, and a conspiracy to slaughter the country's farmers "Mr. Raut said to reporters.
The Mumbai Police have devised a strategy to guarantee that people are not inconvenienced as a result of the bandh.
Police officers will be deployed in strategic points. The Mumbai Police would be assisted in maintaining law and order by three companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, 500 Home Guards, and 700 from other forces.
A Maharashtra trade union that had previously objected to the state government declaring a bandh on Monday has decided to endorse the bandh. "At the request of the Shiv Sena and other party leaders, we have decided to keep shops closed until 4 p.m. in support of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's bandh call in protest of farmer killings," Viren Shah, chief of the Federation of Retail Traders' Welfare Association (FRTWA), said in an amended statement on Sunday.
The traders' union had stated earlier that they are only limping back to business following intermittent lockdowns prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the bandh will affect their earnings. "We've lost a lot of money over the last 18 months because of the lockdown. Our company is growing steadily. Allow us to do our business calmly in the midst of the festival season, when consumers have begun to flock to the stores. We urge the government to enable retail companies to continue operating. We hope that merchants are not harassed or compelled to close their doors." Shah stated.
The traders appear, however, to be stuck in a political crossfire, since the BJP has stated that it would not allow "forced closure of shops" to support the bandh. "If any of the MVA karyakartas compel shopkeepers to shut their shops tomorrow, they will have to confront BJP karyakartas. Police should guarantee that no one is forced, or else there would be a law and order issue, which is not our responsibility "Nitesh Rane, a Maharashtra BJP leader tweeted.
Ashish Mishra, the son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, was named in a police case filed by farmers who said he drove into a gathering of slogan-shouting protestors during a peaceful black-flag protest last Sunday.
Ashish Mishra appeared in court on Saturday night, days after heavy pressure mounted on police inactivity despite the filing of a murder case.
The Supreme Court also chastised the UP Police for failing to execute their job correctly.
