Amid massive protests by farmers for the third consecutive day, the government on Saturday said it is ready for talks with them anytime and urged them to call off their agitation.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that while a meeting with 32 protesting farmer unions has already been scheduled on December 3 to address their concerns, the government is ready to engage the unions' leaders before that if they wish to.
"Farmers should end the protest and come for discussion. The Government of India is fully ready for the discussion. If farmer unions' send their proposal, we are ready to consider that," Mr Tomar said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also said that the Centre is ready to hold discussions with farmers.
"Some farmers unions and farmers have demanded that talks be held immediately instead of December 3. So, I assure everyone that the central government is ready to hold discussions with you as soon as you shift to the ground (in Burari)," he said.
Punjab farmers resumed their ''Delhi Chalo'' march against the Centre's new farm laws on Saturday morning after halting for the night to join thousands who have already reached the national capital's borders.
By Friday evening, all Haryana Police barricades at the border with Punjab and along the highway to Delhi had been lifted. Hundreds entered the national capital to hold a peaceful protest at a north Delhi ground after facing teargas and water cannons and clashing with security personnel, while thousands remained at border points, undecided whether to go to the demonstration site identified by police.
Farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws have expressed apprehension that the laws would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.
Here are the Highlights of the farmers' protest:
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday accused Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of "maligning and insulting" farmers protesting against three farm laws and said the party formed a three-member panel to coordinate with like-minded political parties to support farmers' agitation.
In tweets, Mr Badal accused Khattar of seeking to "defame the farmers and their agitation".
"SAD strongly condemns Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar's statement terming our peasants who are agitating against the AntiFarmerLaws as Khalistanis. This is a conspiracy to defame the farmers and their agitation to pave the way for its repression with brutal force," Mr Badal said.
As farmers from Punjab and Haryana started protesting against the three new farm laws on Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari on Saturday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar reiterated that the central government was ready for talks with the farmer unions' leaders on December 3 to resolve their issues.
"The government is ready to do anything that is required for the prosperity of farmers. We have invited them for talks on December 3 and I hope that they will come," Mr Tomar told ANI.
While the government has maintained that the three laws will do away with middlemen, enabling farmers to sell their produce in the markets directly, protesters fear that these could dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system, thereby disrupting their timely payments.
- Why are you stopping a system which has worked for 100 years? The great revolution came in 1966, this has been going for even longer. Keep it going
- We are 2 per cent of India and we give 40 per cent of food. We are the ones who have brought all these food grains. We have brought in the food security. Let's have some sort of understanding of what is going on in this country before taking decisions.
- I don't know what Harsimrat Kaur Badal is doing. She approves off these ordinances. Why didn't she come to my meeting? These people are very smart. Any party of Punjab is in it because they know what's going around, because they know what the farmers are going through.
Amarinder Singh Fumes At Haryana Chief Minister: Won't Pick Up His CallPunjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday lashed out at his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar for the crackdown on farmers protesting the centre's new agricultural laws, saying that he will not even answer the latter's phone calls now because of the way he has acted." itemprop="description
Can't you bring an amendment and add it to the existent bill? So that the farmer will be assured that his food and family will be secured.
Regardless of the virus, the farmers have gone to Delhi because this is beyond everything. This is much bigger. The farmer is thinking how he will secure food for his children. For God's sake, let's think about them. Think about what will matter to them. What's the harm in bringing some sort of clarity on this?
Punjab is not stopping its farmers because it is their rights. Why are you stopping them? Why are you using watercannons and tear gassing them? When we are not stopping them and Delhi is not stopping them, who are you to stop them?
Delhi: Farmers continue to protest against farm laws at Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
"We don't trust them (govt), there have been discussions earlier as well but no solution came out of it. We want the govt to take back the laws," says a farmer pic.twitter.com/tM3PwKzM3x
#UPDATE | Farmers' meeting ends at Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu. "It has been decided that we'll continue our protest here & will not go anywhere else. We will meet at 11 am every day to discuss our strategy," says Harinder Singh General Secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Union, Punjab. https://t.co/tw301fhh0U pic.twitter.com/Mt4DFh7rgA
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
Traffic Alert
- Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) November 28, 2020
Singhu border is still closed from both sides. Please take alternate route.Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba Chowk & GTK road.Traffic is very very heavy. Please avoid outer ring road from signature bridge to Rohini & vice versa, GTK road, NH 44 & Singhu border
#WATCH | Punjab: Farmers moving towards the national capital as part of #DelhiChalo protest march, cross Punjab-Haryana border at Sambhu. pic.twitter.com/XSTUSSUl9S
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
#WATCH | Punjab: Farmers moving towards the national capital as part of #DelhiChalo protest march, cross Punjab-Haryana border at Sambhu. pic.twitter.com/XSTUSSUl9S
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
Watch | "There was enormous, unnecessary and provocative violence from Delhi Police. The government welcomed the people with a barrage of tear-gas shells": Yogendra Yadav, President, Swaraj India on the #FarmersProtest#FarmBills2020 pic.twitter.com/lXWB2pkUky
- NDTV (@ndtv) November 28, 2020
Punjab: Farmers from Fatehgarh Sahib on their way to Delhi to protest against Centre's Farm laws pic.twitter.com/0scMjWS6rl
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
#WATCH A meeting of farmers from Punjab underway at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana) as they continue their protest here
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
Delhi Police yesterday gave permission to farmers to hold their demonstrations at the Nirankari Samagam Ground in Delhi's Burari area pic.twitter.com/1t4OoVITCQ
Heavy security deployment at Singhu border (Delhi-Haryana) where protesting farmers are gathered
- ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2020
Delhi Police yesterday gave permission to farmers to hold their demonstrations at the Nirankari Samagam Ground in Delhi's Burari area pic.twitter.com/AN9tVbMKyW
