Central Government Doing Politics Over Farmers' Protest, Alleges Shiv Sena

Alleging that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government is doing politics over farmers' protest against the three agriculture laws, Shiv Sena on Wednesday said the government at the Centre does not want to resolve farmers'' issues and is playing "meeting-meeting" with them.

Through its mouthpiece Saamna, the Shiv Sena said so far 50 farmers have lost their lives on the borders of freezing Delhi, and yet they are not ready to back out without the laws being repealed.

"Despite eight rounds of discussion between the farmers and the Union ministers, if there is no result. The government has no interest in it. The government is doing politics and the farmers'' movement has to continue," the party said.

"It is freezing in Delhi. It has also been raining for the last three days. Water has entered the tents of the farmers and their clothes and beds are wet. Yet the farmers are not ready to back out. Farmers are determined to get the agriculture law repealed," it said further.

Shiv Sena further said in the eyes of the government, farmers' sacrifice has no value, and added Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have intervened to resolve the issue.

"If the government had a soul then the agriculture law would be repealed and this game played with the lives of farmers would have stopped immediately," it added.

After the eighth round of talks, the Centre could not reach any "solution" as the farmer unions remained "adamant" over repealing of the three farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said after the meeting on Monday.

"We wanted farmer unions to discuss three laws clause-wise. We could not reach any solution as farmer unions remained adamant on the repeal of the laws," Mr Tomar had said.

Earlier, Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson, Rakesh Tikait had claimed that 60 farmers have so far lost their lives during the ongoing agitation. He further said one farmer is dying every 16 hours and it is the government''s responsibility to give an answer.

Farmers have been protesting at the borders of Delhi since November 26 last year against the newly enacted farm laws -- Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance, and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.