The farmers' representatives have turned down the Centre's second pitch for a committee to discuss the contentious farm laws, protests against which are intensifying by the day. "Now is not the time for a committee," sources quoted farmers' representatives as saying at the meeting with three central ministers this evening.
A second meeting will be held on December 3. More farmers from Punjab and khaps from Haryana are making their way to the national capital, demanding that the laws be repealed. The farmers have said they will continue the protest if their demands are not accepted.
Over the last five days, thousands of farmers, braving water cannons, tear gas and barricades of the Haryana police, have reached the borders of Delhi. While some of them have managed to enter the city, the rest are sitting at the border areas, saying they are ready to do what it takes to see the end of the three farm laws passed by parliament earlier this year.
Here are the live updates of the farmers' protest:
Farmer union leaders on Tuesday invited Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to their protest site and offered to serve him ''jalebi'' and ''pakoda'', along with tea at their langar (community kitchen), after they were offered tea by the minister during a marathon meeting with the government over their ongoing agitation against three new farm laws.
"Tomar Saheb requested us to have tea during the break between the meeting, but we in return extended him an invitation to accompany us to our protest site where we are serving tea along with jalebi and pakodas in langar. This led to laughter all around," Jamhuri Kisan Sabha's Kulwant Singh Sandhu told PTI.
Numbers swelling at Delhi's borders amid huge protests against the controversial farm laws, security forces have been told by the government to show restraint, officials have told NDTV.
Many more farmers' bodies are likely to join the protesters, according to the inputs received by the Home Ministry. "We have information that farmers from Nanital and Amritsar would be joining protesting farmers," a senior officer revealed.
According to him, these group of farmers are arriving in large number in tractors and trucks. "Farmers from Amritsar and Nanital are reaching Gazipur border (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border), and since there are restrictions on entering the national capital, they have been camping on the outskirts," he adds.
Shortly after Minister of State VK Singh said the thousands of men and women protesting the centre's new farm laws "do not appear to be farmers", Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back and asked if they needed to "come with plough and oxen to appear like farmers".
"Many of the people in (the) pictures do not appear to be farmers," Mr Singh was quoted by news agency ANI on Tuesday evening, in comments that suggested a "farmer" must have a certain look.
"What is in the interest of farmers has been done. It is not the farmers who have a problem with this (the farm laws) but others. Besides (the) opposition, people who get a commission are behind it (the protests)," the union minister added.
Amidst the ongoing farmers' protest at Delhi-Haryana border and central government's meeting with farmer unions, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) founder Ajay Chautala on Tuesday asked the central government to come up with a "quick and unanimous solution" to farmers' issues.
Ajay Chautala, the founder of JJP, BJP's ally in the Haryana government, told reporters, "The Centre should take note of the demands of protesting farmers. A unanimous solution should be implemented quickly to put an end to farmers'' troubles. The sooner the solution to the farmers'' problem, the better. We have urged for the same from those who are sitting in the government."
Shortly after Minister of State VK Singh said the thousands of men and women protesting the centre's new farm laws "do not appear to be farmers", Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back and asked if they needed to "come with plough and oxen to appear like farmers".
"Many of the people in (the) pictures do not appear to be farmers," Mr Singh was quoted by news agency ANI on Tuesday evening, in comments that suggested a "farmer" must have a certain look.
"What is in the interest of farmers has been done. It is not the farmers who have a problem with this (the farm laws) but others. Besides (the) opposition, people who get a commission are behind it (the protests)," the union minister added.
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Tuesday joined the agitating farmers who have been camping outside Delhi to press for their demand of repealing the Centre's farm laws. In an interview with NDTV, he said the outfit will extend support from "outside" while the protest will be led by farmers. Mr Azad, an emerging Dalit leader in Uttar Pradesh politics, slammed the Centre for using watercannons and tear gas on farmers marching to the national capital from Punjab last week, and said the government is "afraid" of the farmers' movement.
"The Centre tried to defame and stop the farmers' agitation...Our mothers, children, elderly were stopped (from marching to Delhi) with watercannons, barbed wires, tear gas...they (farmers) are not terrorists, they are the backbone of our country. We get food because of them...Such treatment (to farmers) shows how afraid the government is of the farmers' movement," he said. Read
A three-member team of Central ministers started talks with farmers' representatives this afternoon as protests over the Centre's new farm laws intensified around Delhi. More farmers from Punjab and khaps from Haryana are making their way to the national capital to press in with their demand that the laws be repealed.
Comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India are "ill-informed" and "unwarranted", India said today after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in on the farmers' protest, saying the "situation is concerning".
"We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in the government's rebuttal to Mr Trudeau's statements.
"It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes," India said in the terse message.
"Don't fall prey to any rumours on recent Agricultural Bills passed! Watch this video to know about how it will benefit the farmers across the nation in various aspects. #AatmaNirbharKrishi #MSPhaiAurRahega," MyGovIndia tweeted.
Representatives of Maharashtra farmer organizations have now threatened to march to Delhi in support of protesting farmers if Government does not accept the main demands of Kisan Unions by 3 December.
Senior Cabinet Ministers Piyush Goyal and Narendra Tomar are currently meeting with the farmers protesting in and around Delhi since last week.
Haryana: Independent MLA Sombir Sangwan withdraws his support from the Khattar led-Harayana govt
- ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2020
"In light of the atrocities committed on the farmers, I hereby withdraw my support to the current govt," he says, while in Charkhi Dadri pic.twitter.com/QhYgvSxRFd
The Government should listen to the demands of the farmers: Kamal Haasan, President, Makkal Needhi Maiam in #Chennai pic.twitter.com/trXVrTxBVR
- ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2020
#WATCH Protesting farmers use a tractor to remove barricading done at Ghazipur-Ghaziabad (Delhi-UP) border#FarmersProtest #Ghaziabad pic.twitter.com/g3VfCMFEAI
- ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2020
It is time to stand with our farmers. We urge the Government of India to listen to the protesting farmers and resolve the issue in an amicable manner. The whole of our country needs to come together on this; because farmers are the lifeblood of this country.
- Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) December 1, 2020
#WATCH Farmers in Ambala raised slogans of 'Kisan Ekta Zindabad' and showed black flags to Haryana minister Anil Vij outside Panjokhra Sahib Gurudwara yesterday. #Haryana pic.twitter.com/kdpbSOvel1
- ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2020
अन्नदाता सड़कों-मैदानों में धरना दे रहे हैं,
- Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 1, 2020
और
'झूठ' टीवी पर भाषण!
किसान की मेहनत का हम सब पर क़र्ज़ है।
ये क़र्ज़ उन्हें न्याय और हक़ देकर ही उतरेगा, न कि उन्हें दुत्कार कर, लाठियाँ मारकर और आंसू गैस चलाकर।
जागिए, अहंकार की कुर्सी से उतरकर सोचिए और किसान का अधिकार दीजिए।
मोदी सरकार ने किसान पर अत्याचार किए- पहले काले क़ानून फिर चलाए डंडे लेकिन वो भूल गए कि जब किसान आवाज़ उठाता है तो उसकी आवाज़ पूरे देश में गूंजती है।
- Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 30, 2020
किसान भाई-बहनों के साथ हो रहे शोषण के ख़िलाफ़ आप भी #SpeakUpForFarmers campaign के माध्यम से जुड़िए। pic.twitter.com/tJ8bry6QWi
There are more than 500 groups of farmers in the country, but the Govt has invited only 32 groups for talks. The rest haven't been called by the govt. We won't be going for talks till all groups are called: Sukhvinder S Sabhran, Jt Secy, Punjab Kisan Sangarsh Committee in Delhi pic.twitter.com/jYGQlEMKSk
- ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2020