New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar has invited farmer unions for discussion at 3 pm today citing cold and coronavirus, as hundreds of farmers started trickling in from Punjab to join the protesters at two borders of Delhi. The ongoing protests by thousands of farmers against the Centre's new farm laws entered the fifth day on Monday, with the protestors threatening to block all five entry points to the national capital. Rejecting the Centre's offer to hold talks once they move to the Burari ground, the farmers said they will not accept any conditional dialogue and have called a meeting to discuss their next course of action later in the day.
Farmers, who had reached Nirankarai Samagam Ground in Burari on Saturday, continued their protest there. Traffic continued to be disrupted in the city due to the protests. Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Traffic Police on Monday alerted commuters to take an alternate route since Singhu and Tikri borders continued to remain closed.
A meeting of over 30 farmer groups was held to discuss Amit Shah's offer for talks before the scheduled date of December 3 once they move to Burari in the city, but the thousands of protesters had refused to budge and spent another night in the cold at the Singhu and Tikri border points. Their representatives had said that Amit Shah's condition that they shift the protest is not acceptable and claimed Burari ground is an "open jail".
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 Highlights of the farmers' protest:
Nov 30, 2020 22:22 (IST)
Punjabi Singers Lend Support To Farmers' Stir
Several Punjabi singers, including Sidhu Moosewala and Babbu Maan, have lent their support to farmers who are protesting against the Centre's new farm laws at Delhi's border points for the last five days, reported news agency PTI. Besides Sidhu Moosewala and Babbu Maan, singers Kanwar Grewal and Harf Cheema have also joined the stir. Mr Moosewala, who reached the Tikri border on Monday, said that the government must address the concerns of the protesting farmers. He also said that a large number of farmers from Punjab have assembled at the Singhu and Tikri borders of the national capital and claimed that the people of Haryana too have extended immense support to the farmers' movement.
Nov 30, 2020 19:02 (IST)
Supply Of Vegetables, Fruits From Other States Impacted By Farmers' Protests
The supply of vegetables and fruits to the city from other states has been impacted and it has been halved at Azadpur Mandi, one of Delhi's largest wholesale market, owing to the protest by farmers at the Singhu and Tikri border points of the national capital for the last five days, reported news agency PTI. Vendors in other parts of Delhi said due to curtailed supply, the wholesale rates of seasonal vegetables has gone up by Rs 50- Rs 100. They said the roadblock at Singhu and Tikri border has also impacted supply of vegetables and fruits from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Nov 30, 2020 19:00 (IST)
Haryana MLA Quits As Livestock Development Board Chairman "In Support Of Farmers"
Extending his support to the farmers gathered at Delhi's borders protesting against the Centre's new farm laws, Haryana MLA Sombir Sangwan on Monday tendered his resignation as chairman of the State Livestock Development Board, reported news agency PTI. Mr Sangwan is an Independent MLA supporting the BJP-JJP coalition government in the state. In his letter to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, he said, "I have resigned from my post in support of farmers. Like the entire country, farmers from my assembly constituency Dadri are also protesting against these laws. In this situation, extending my full support to them is a priority for me and my moral duty too."
Nov 30, 2020 18:54 (IST)
Delhi Police Commissioner Arrives At Singhu Border
Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava arrives at Singhu border where farmers are protesting against new farm laws.
Nov 30, 2020 18:10 (IST)
Want PM To Listen To Our Mann Ki Baat: Protesting Farmers
Farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws at Delhi border points on Monday said they have come to the national capital for a "decisive battle" and asserted that they will continue their agitation until their demands are met, reported news agency PTI. Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border, a representative of protesting farmers said that they want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their "mann ki baat".
Nov 30, 2020 17:06 (IST)
Tractor-Trolleys, Farm Equipment Turn Into Temporary Shelters For Protesting Farmers
Tractor-trolleys and key farm equipment have turned into temporary shelters for thousands of farmers who have assembled at the borders of Delhi to protest against the Centre's new farm laws, reported news agency PTI. As temperatures have dipped, the farmers demanding that the laws be repealed are spending the chilly nights inside their tractor-trolleys covered with tarpaulin, which they have turned into temporary shelters. Most of the farmers have brought at least two trolleys with each tractor with one of them carrying ration and other essentials and the other being used to accommodate the protesters.
Nov 30, 2020 17:00 (IST)
Centre Should Tell Farmers Minimum Support Price, Procurement Won't Be Affected: Nitish Kumar
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the Centre should allay fears among the protesting farmers that the new agriculture laws was aimed at doing away with the system of minimum support price or that it would adversely affect the procurement of produce, reported news agency PTI. Nitish Kumar, whose JD(U) is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, also sought to clear misconceptions over the farm legislation that allows sale of produce outside APMC markets, and pointed towards the state's own experiment with the abolition of these.
Nov 30, 2020 16:57 (IST)
Farmers Protest At Delhi Borders May Act As COVID "Superspreader" Event: Experts
The protest by thousands of farmers who have stayed put at various border entry points to Delhi for the fifth consecutive day today, protesting against the Centre's new agriculture reform laws may act as a "superspreader" event for coronavirus, experts said, reported news agency PTI. The national capital is already witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases post Diwali amid rising pollution levels.
