Normal life across large parts of the country remained largely unaffected on Thursday, February 12, 2026, despite a nationwide strike call given by a joint forum of central trade unions to protest what they described as the Centre’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies”.
Reports from several States, including Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, indicated a mixed response to the general strike, with public transport, markets and offices functioning normally in many areas, while protests and road blockades were reported in pockets.
The strike was organised by a joint platform of 10 central trade unions and supported by farmers’ organisations, including the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM). The unions claimed they were mobilising nearly 30 crore workers across the country against the new labour codes, the proposed India-US trade deal and changes to welfare schemes.
The Congress party extended its support to the protesting unions. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi government of ignoring workers and farmers while taking decisions that affect their future. Speaking in Parliament earlier this week, Gandhi also attacked the government over the India-US interim trade agreement and the Union Budget for 2026-27, alleging that national interests were being compromised. “India’s real strength lies in its people and its data. If negotiations are not done as equals, it harms the country,” he said during the Budget session.
In Bihar, CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya strongly criticised the Centre’s labour reforms and trade policies while addressing a protest in Patna in support of the nationwide strike. “The new labour codes will turn workers into slaves of corporate owners, while the proposed VB GRAM G scheme will take away the right to livelihood that MNREGA guaranteed to rural India,” he said.
Bhattacharya also termed the proposed India-US trade deal a “trap deal” that would hurt farmers. “Till now, our farmers were fighting Ambani and Adani. Now they will be forced to compete with America,” he said. Accusing the government of abandoning its own slogans, he added, “The Prime Minister has effectively given up on ‘Make in India’ and ‘Viksit Bharat’.”
In Katihar district of Bihar, a CPI(ML) stronghold, trade unions, farmers’ groups and student organisations blocked a national highway, disrupting traffic on NH-31 for a few hours. Traffic was restored after police intervention. Processions were also taken out in parts of the city in support of the bandh.
Bhattacharya further alleged that despite the BJP-led NDA’s recent electoral victory in Bihar, public resentment was growing. “Bulldozer raj is now visible here, similar to Uttar Pradesh. The Chief Minister appears to have lost control,” he claimed. He also expressed fears that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls could be misused to manipulate elections in States like West Bengal.
In Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, members of various trade unions staged protests and attempted a rail roko march, which was stopped by the police. Road blockades were reported in Bhavani, Gobichettipalayam and Sathyamangalam, with over 1,500 people participating. However, transport services and public life were not affected in the district.
In Kerala, the shutdown drew sharp political reactions. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the bandh, calling it a “lamentable irony”. In a post on X, Tharoor said that while the rest of India has moved away from such coercive protests, Kerala continues to be “held hostage by an organised minority over the unorganised majority”.
Farmer groups also joined the protests. SKM leader Hannan Mollah said the India-US trade agreement would have serious consequences for Indian farmers. “This agreement is a betrayal. The government has surrendered before the shrewdness of the US. Indian produce will not survive the free flow of American imports,” he said, demanding the resignation of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
Union minister Piyush Goyal, however, defended the agreement, saying it would be remembered as a historic step for India’s economy and that farmers’ interests had been protected.
In Himachal Pradesh, apple growers joined the nationwide strike, with the Himachal Apple Growers Association extending support along with CITU and the Himachal Kisan Sabha. Protests were held across major apple-growing regions at district and block levels.
Opposition MPs, including Congress leaders Jebi Mather and Rahul Gandhi, also raised concerns in Parliament, claiming the trade deal was already affecting sectors like apple farming in Kashmir. “If farmers and workers across the country are suffering, the Opposition cannot remain silent,” Mather said.
Protests were also held outside Parliament at the Makar Dwar, where Opposition MPs termed the agreement a “trap deal” and expressed solidarity with the Bharat Bandh.
In Jammu and Kashmir, workers and students affiliated with CITU, Jammu Kashmir Kisan Tehreekh and other organisations held peaceful demonstrations in response to the strike call. CPI(M) Central Committee member Md Yusuf Tarigami addressed the gathering, reiterating opposition to the Centre’s labour and trade policies.
Despite the widespread protests and political sparring, essential services, including hospitals, ambulances, railways and flights, continued to operate normally in most parts of the country, and private offices largely remained open.
