The ninth round of talks between protesting farmer unions and three central ministers to break the over-a-month-long deadlock on the three new agri laws ends. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, held the talks with the representatives of around 40 farmer unions at the Vigyan Bhawan.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday led the party's protest in the national capital in support of the agitating farmers, and said his party will not relent till the new farm laws are repealed. He was accompanied by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders of the Delhi Congress at the protest outside the Delhi LG's residence as part of the countrywide agitation.
"These laws are not to help farmers, but to finish them. These laws are aimed at helping corporates like Ambani and Adani instead," he charged and added, "That is why we are standing in favour of the farmers". "The BJP government will have to take these black laws back. Till the time these laws are repealed, Congress party will not relent," he told the protesting Congressmen.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi for over a month now against the three laws.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Thursday, "The government is ready to hold talks with farmers' leaders with an open mind."
Meanwhile, the protesting farmer leaders said they will attend the ninth round of talks with the government amid indication that it may be last such meeting with the centre, but added that they don't have much hope as they will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the contentious farm laws. Ahead of the meeting, Rakesh Tikait, spokespersons of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BHU) reiterated that to resolve the issues of protesting farmers, the government will have to repeal the three newly passed laws. "Government needs to devise a plan to scrap the three laws and give legal guarantee for minimum support price," said Tikait.