Rail and road transportation services are likely to be affected and markets may remain closed in parts of the country on Friday as farmer unions protesting against the three agriculture laws have called a complete 'Bharat Bandh'.

According to the Samkyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the nationwide shutdown will start at 6 am and it will be in force up to 6 pm across the country on March 26 which marks four months of the farmer agitation on Delhi's three borders -- Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri. Farmers leaders also said that copies of the new farm laws will be burnt during ‘Holika Dahan’ on March 28.

After the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRC) in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress on Thursday extended its support to a peaceful and "Gandhian" Bharat Bandh. "When the government is deaf, there is a need for a decisive struggle. The ongoing farmers' protest is part of that. We support a peaceful and Gandhian Bharat Bandh proposed on March 26," party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.Confederation of All India Traders, which called the Bharat Bandh of February 26 said that markets will remain open on March 26 as it is not participating in the 'Bharat Bandh'.

"We are not going to participate in 'Bharat Bandh' tomorrow. Markets will remain open in Delhi and other parts of the country. The ongoing deadlock can be resolved only through a dialogue process. There should be discussions on amendments in the farm laws that can make existing farming profitable," CAIT's national general secretary Praveen Khandelwal told PTI.

This association represents eight crore traders in the country,Andhra Pradesh I&PR Minister Perni Venkatramaiah said that the state government is against the privatisation of steel plant and in regard to this, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had written letters to the Centre suggesting alternatives to retain the organisation.

The minister appealed to the farmers'associations to cooperate and observe the bandh peacefully without any untoward incidents that cause inconvenience to the general public. According to information, all the government institutions in the state will be open after 1 pm and RTC buses will operate in the afternoon.

All the emergency health services will run as usual during the bandh. While this will be the second Bharat Bandh called by the farmers, trade bodies called a strike protesting against fuel price hike, GST norms and e-way bill.The SKM, an umbrella body of protesting unions,appealed to protesting farmers to be peaceful and not get involved in any kind of illegitimate debate and conflict during the 'bandh'.

"All shops, malls, markets and institutions will remain closed under complete Bharat Bandh. All minor and big roads and trains will be blocked. All services will remain suspended except for ambulance and other essential services. The effect of Bharat Bandh will be observed inside Delhi as well," SKM said in a statement.

Senior farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that road and rail transport will be blocked, claiming that markets will also remain closed. The SKM said the 'bandh' will also be observed in the national capital.

So far, there have been 11 rounds of talks between the protesting unions and government, but deadlock continued as both sides stuck to their stand.