The protesting farmer unions have asked the government to meet on Tuesday. (File)
Farmers' Protest Live Updates: Farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm sector laws clanged thalis and raised slogans as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address Mann ki Baat was broadcast this morning. The protest took place at Singhu border, Faridkot in Punjab and Rohtak in BJP-ruled Haryana.
The "Delhi-Chalo" protest by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, has been continuing for more than a month. Thousands of farmers have been camping at the borders of Delhi, demanding that the farm laws, passed in September, be scrapped.
After five rounds of talks between the farmers and the centre failed, the Supreme Court ordered that a committee be formed to address the issue. The protesting farmer unions on Saturday asked the government to meet and hold discussions on the new farm laws on December 29 (Tuesday).
Here are the Live Updates on farmers' protests:
Harsimrat Kaur Badal flags Cotton Corporation's ceiling on procurement
Former Union Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday said that the "apprehensions of farmers were already coming true" in Punjab with the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) putting daily ceilings on procurement of cotton and affecting a four-times reduction in its purchase, ANI reported.
Asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take note of the actions of CCI, Harsimrat said, "Even though you have given repeated statements about the continuance of Minimum Support Price (MSP), your inability to specify anything regarding assured government purchase at MSP is already having an adverse effect on government departments."
Some farmers start sowing onions at protest venue in Delhi
Several farmers from Punjab who are protesting against the recently enacted central farm laws are keeping themselves engaged by sowing onion crops at the Burari ground here with protests now stretching for a month now, ANI reported.
"We are engaged in sowing onions at the ground here. It has been one month since we have been here. What can we do here as we have no work. In Punjab, the land is very costly. Here it is available for free and hence we are doing farming of onions," a farmer said.
Farm laws: Rajasthan Congress to hold dialogue with farmers
The Congress will hold dialogue with farmers in every Assembly constituency in Rajasthan from December 28 to 30 to make them aware about the Centre's three farm laws which the party said was against the interests of the peasantry.
Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said the Rajasthan government is with the agitating farmers and support their demand for repeal of the laws, PTI reported.
Farmers' protest example of government's failure, says Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of giving importance to its "capitalist friends" and said the farmers' protest against the new agri laws is an example of the "failure" of the government. The BJP government at the Centre is making offers to farmers for talks, but on the other hand, it is levelling "baseless allegations" on the protesting farmers, he said in a statement.
Appeal with folded hands to Centre to repeal farm laws: Arvind KejriwalDelhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the Centre to repeal the new farm laws and said farmers are protesting for their survival.
In his second visit to the Singhu border, where thousands of farmers are protesting against the laws since November last week, Mr Kejriwal said: "I challenge any Union minister to have an open debate with the farmers and it will be clear how beneficial or harmful these laws are."
"Farmers are protesting for their survival. These laws will snatch away their land. I appeal with folded hands to the Centre to please repeal the three agri laws," he said.
Talks will resolve issues only if done with farmers' perspective without politicising: MinisterMinister of State (MoS) Agriculture Kailash Choudhary has said that talks scheduled on December 29 will resolve issues if they are conducted from farmers' perspective, and not from the perspective of politicians who are politicising the issue.
Mr Choudhary said: "Problems can only be resolved by talking. I firmly believe talks scheduled on December 29 will resolve issues if they are conducted from farmers'' perspective, not from perspective of politicians who are politicising the issue."
Truckload of pineapples to reach protesting farmers free of costExpressing solidarity with farmers protesting at the borders of Delhi against the new farm laws, a farmers association in Kerala has sent 16 tonnes of pineapples by truck to the national capital for free distribution.
The cost of the fruit, as well as the expenditure on transport, will be borne by the Pineapple Farmers Association, its leader James Thottumaryil said. The consignment from Vazhakulam, known as "pineapple city," was flagged off by Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar on Thursday night. It is expected to reach Delhi on Monday evening, Mr Thottumariyil said.
Arvind Kejriwal To Visit Farmers' Protest Site, Second Time In A MonthChief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will today visit the Singhu border point between Delhi and Haryana, which is one of the spots where thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and other states have been camped for over a month in protest against three central agricultural laws.
During his visit around 6pm, Mr Kejriwal will take part in singing of hymns to mark the two-day
"Shaheedi Diwas" being organised by the Delhi government's Punjabi Academy at the Guru Tej Bahadur Memorial erected at Singhu. Shaheedi Diwas is observed to mark the martyrdom and sacrifice of the ninth Sikh Guru.
The Delhi Chief Minister had earlier, too, visited the memorial where his government has made food and sanitary arrangements for the farmers.
Read Centre Too Arrogant To Empathise With Farmers' Plight: Sachin PilotFormer Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday accused the Union government of being too stubborn and arrogant to understand farmers' sufferings.
Mr Pilot hurled the allegations while demanding the repeal of the three recent farm laws against which farmers have been protesting for over a month now, camping at various border points of Delhi.
Read Farmers from western UP stay put in Noida at night
Braving biting cold, scores of farmers stayed put at the Delhi-Noida border near Chilla on Saturday night in protest against the three recent farm laws of the Centre even as other agitating farmers returned home for night stay, news agency Press Trust Of India reported.
During the day, farmers' groups from various Western Uttar Pradesh districts visit the border, join demonstrations and then return by evening, leaving local protestors and those from nearby districts at the site for an overnight stay, said Yogesh Pratap Singh, the UP unit chief of the BKU (Bhanu).
Around 50 BKU (Bhanu) members, some of them belonging to Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Ghaziabad, were at Chilla border on Saturday night, while 11 members observed fast during the day.
Congress spreading misinformation on farm laws: Dharmendra Pradhan
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday alleged that the Congress is spreading misinformation on the new agriculture laws and creating a sense of fear among farmers across the country, while the BJD is supporting such activities.
He claimed that the new farm laws were aimed at making farmers self-reliant.
Mr Pradhan, while addressing a farmers' rally, said that the Congress is spreading misinformation and creating a sense of fear among the farmers that their lands will be taken
away by corporate houses and the minimum support price system will be abolished. The BJD is backing such activities.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait receives death threat over phone
Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait who has been participating in the agitation against the farm laws alleged that he has received a death threat over the phone.
"It was a phone call from Bihar. They were threatening to kill me with arms. I have forwarded the recording to the police captain. They will do what is needed to be done next," said Tikait.
Tikait is at the forefront of protests against the farm laws. He has filed a complaint at Kaushambi Police Station.