Farmers' Protest LIVE: Unions to seek legal advice on SC observations

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 23: 'Farm laws have not been introduced overnight', said PM Narendra Modi

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that political parties, experts and even farmers had been demanding new farm laws for long, and assured that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism for crops will continue.

Addressing farmers of Madhya Pradesh through virtual mode, he alleged that opposition parties themselves advocated such laws, but now they were protesting because they did not want him to get credit for the reforms. The government was ready 24 hours to talk with farmers, the prime minister said, as the agitation against the new agri laws at Delhi borders entered its 23rd day.
 

Accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of spreading falsehood about the new farm laws, union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday appealed to the agitating farmers not to fall prey to these "white lies" and said the Centre was ready to address all their concerns. The minister, in an eight-page open letter to farmers, said the Modi-government was committed to their welfare and stressed that the new legislation were aimed at benefitting small and marginal farmers.



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1:51 AM

Makeshift library set up at Singhu border

Amid the farmers' protest, a library-cum-cultural centre has been set up at Singhu border which aims to provide books and newspapers for youth and also imparts school education to students from nearby slums.

 

Apart from providing books for the youth to read, the library also offers them a platform to discuss current topics.

 

The tent is used in the evenings, to recreate a tradition, 'Sanjhi Sath', where the villagers gather to listen to their elders' advice.

 

There are 10 teaching volunteers and 150 volunteers for cleaning the area.

11:00 PM

Congress says PM must apologise for betraying farmers

Congress says govt should stop "deceiving and betraying" farmers, asks PM Narendra Modi to apologise to them for insulting those protesting against recent farm laws by dubbing them as 'anti-nationals'

9:56 PM

Will never be able to forget visuals of farmers protest, says Sonu Sood

Actor Sonu Sood on Friday said he is deeply saddened to see the plight of farmers protesting against the three new agri laws and hoped for a resolution to their issues.

 

Thousands of farmers from Haryana, Punjab, and other states have been holding demonstrations at Delhi's border points, protesting against the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

 

The actor, who was lauded earlier this year for his efforts in helping the migrant workers during the coronavirus pandemic, said he doesn't want to get into a debate as to who is right or wrong but only wants a timely solution to the problems of the farmers.

8:58 PM

If you want credit, take it and withdraw the farm laws: Sitaram Yechury to PM Modi

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested the opposition political parties with "folded hands" to keep all the credit for the agricultural sector reforms on Friday, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury slammed the "manner" in which he delivered the speech.

 

"If you want to take credit, then take it and withdraw the recently enacted farm laws, this is what I want to say to the Prime Minister," he said, commenting on PM Modi's speech.

 

He added there should be reforms in the agricultural sector. "But what kind of reform is it (the three new farm laws)? If it is for farmers, then thousands, who are sitting on protest, do not understand their well-being."

 

PM Modi on Friday requested the political parties with "folded hands" to keep all the credit for their "old election manifestos", which had reportedly promised agricultural sector reforms and urged them to stop misguiding the farmers over the new farm laws.

 

8:38 PM

Government needs to resolve farmers' issue, not Supreme Court: AIKS

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Friday said the issue of the ongoing farmers' protests against three new farm laws needs to be resolved by the government and not the Supreme Court.
 

The AIKS, a key member of the "Samyukta Kisan Morcha" that is spearheading the "Dilli Chalo" agitation against the three farm laws, asserted that no farmer organisation approached the court in the first place and asked for its intervention in the matter.
 

"The issue needs to be resolved by the Centre and not the Supreme Court. The court order has also said the same categorically. We have not approached the court because of this understanding that it is a struggle by the farmers against a government policy and the executive has to resolve the crisis," senior AIKS leader P Krishnaprasad said.
 

The farmers' agitation should be allowed to continue "without impediments" and the court will not "interfere" with it as the right to protest is a fundamental right, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while hearing a bunch of petitions against the ongoing stir at Delhi's borders.

Farmers during their ongoing protest against the Centres farm reform laws, near the Ghazipur border in New Delhi (PTI Photo/ Manvend

8:27 PM

Govt rules out reducing sugarcane price; asks sugar mills not to depend on central subsidies

Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said the government cannot reduce the minimum price at which sugar mills have to purchase sugarcane from farmers and urged the industry to expand product portfolio as well as remain profitable rather than depend on central subsidies.
 

Sugarcane is bought by sugar mills at a Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP), which is also the minimum selling price fixed by the central government.
 

Addressing the 86th annual general meeting (AGM) of industry body ISMA, Goyal was not in favour of the industry's demand to hike the FRP of the sweetener from the current level of Rs 31 per kg, as it would lead to rise in retail prices.
 

Goyal, who is also the railway and commerce minister, said the government's recent decision to provide Rs 3,500 crore subsidy for exports of 60 lakh tonnes of sugar in the current marketing year 2020-21 (October-September) will help in liquidating surplus sugar stock.
 

On the industry's demand that the sugarcane purchase price be linked with sugar price realisation, he said it is not practical to reduce the FRP and told the industry leaders to produce more ethanol as well as other bye-products to boost their income.
 

8:25 PM

Not afraid: Youths ink protest tattoos at Singhu border

The whizzing of machines is almost inconspicuous amid the cacophony of slogans, speeches, claps and chatter, but the crowd at the stall attracts eyeballs.
 

Chetan Sood is busy giving a final touch to a tattoo on the arm of a Sikh youth, who has come from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, to the Singhu border to protest against the Centre's three contentious farm laws.
 

Sood and his five assistants wanted to contribute whichever way possible. Therefore, the group decided to do what they know best. The six men reached the Delhi-Haryana border on Friday morning carrying ink, tattoo machines, needles and stencils.
 

It takes 30 minutes to complete a tattoo, the artists say, aiming to complete around 200 such body arts for free in three days.
 

"The purpose is to send out a message: the common man is with the farmers," says Sood, who runs 'Tattoo Club' in Punjab's Ludhiana district.
 

The theme for the tattoos is agriculture. It depicts farmers harvesting crops, holding farm equipment, tractor, among others.
 

There are tattoos with slogans too, such as 'kar har maidan fateh' (win every battle), 'nishchay kar apni jeet karo' (emerge victorious with firm resolve) and 'nirbhau, nirvair' (not afraid, no enemies).
 

"These are permanent tattoos. Each costs at least Rs 3,500," says 29-year-old Sood.
 

The farmers have been camping at several border points into Delhi for over three weeks, demanding that the new farm legislations be repealed as they claim it would benefit the corporates and end the traditional wholesale markets and the minimum support price regime.
 

"People are talking about the farmers' protest in every household across the country," Sood says. "This is probably the largest organised movement in the modern India." Dheerpal Singh, 33, from Hoshiarpur was upbeat after getting a tattoo of a tractor inked on his forearm. "This is surely going to lift the spirits of the youngsters here," he says.
 

8:24 PM

Akhilesh attacks UP govt over notices to farmers seeking personal bonds

Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Friday attacked the Uttar Pradesh government for sending notices to farmers asking them to submit personal bonds assuring there will be no breach of peace during protests against farm laws in Sambhal.
 

The district administration, however, cancelled the notices later.
 

"Even though the Supreme Court has given legal acknowledgement to peaceful protests by farmers, the BJP government in UP is lodging FIRs to realise Rs 50 lakh from them. There has never been an anti-people government like the BJP," the SP leader said in tweet in Hindi with the hashtag "#Nahi_Chahiye_Bhajapa (No more BJP)".
 

The Sambhal district administration on Friday cancelled the notices it earlier issued to 20 farmer leaders asking them to submit personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each over a police report that had warned of breach of peace during protests against the new farm laws.

8:21 PM

Sukhbir Badal seeks President's intervention in convening Winter Session of Parliament

Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday sought President Ram Nath Kovind's intervention in convening the Winter Session of Parliament at the earliest, saying its cancellation on the excuse of COVID-19 was "indigestible" as the three farm laws were passed when the pandemic was at its peak.
 

In his letter to the President, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said Parliament must meet immediately as "a national priority" as the ongoing farmers' movement affects nearly 100 crore of our people directly and the rest indirectly going by the percentage of the country's population dependent on agriculture.
 

Describing the government's attitude as a case of "historic blunder", Badal said "the ruling party's stubborn-ness to listen to the country's 'annadata' and to let them die within a few hundred yards of Parliament would be remembered in history as a case of a heartless and conscience-less government at war with its own people."

8:19 PM

Govt procures paddy worth Rs 76,524 cr so far this kharif marketing season

Paddy procurement has increased 24 per cent to 405.31 lakh tonnes so far in the ongoing kharif marketing season, valued at Rs 76,524 crore.
 

In the ongoing kharif marketing season (KMS) 2020-21, the government continues to procure kharif crops at the minimum support price (MSP) from farmers, an official statement said on Friday.
 

The kharif marketing season starts from October.
 

Paddy procurement for kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar.
 

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies have purchased 405.31 lakh tonnes of paddy till December 17 against 327.65 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.
 

"About 47.17 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement Operations with MSP value of Rs 76524.14 Crore," the statement said.
 

Out of the total purchase of 405.31 lakh tonnes, Punjab accounts for 202.77 lakh tonnes till the close of procurement season in the state on November 30, it added

7:11 PM

Farm laws were long overdue, MSP will continue; ready for talks: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that political parties, experts and even farmers had been demanding new farm laws for long, and assured that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism for crops will continue. Addressing farmers of Madhya Pradesh through virtual mode, he alleged that opposition parties themselves advocated such laws, but now they were protesting because they did not want him to get credit for the reforms.

 

The government was ready to talk with farmers, the prime minister said, as the agitation against the new agri laws at Delhi borders entered its 23rd day.

 

"Even after all these government's efforts if anyone has any doubt over the farm laws, we, with folded hands and heads bowed, are ready for talks," he said. "The new agriculture laws have not been drafted overnight but political parties, agriculture experts and progressive farmers have demanded it for a long time. "Farms and farmers in India should not lag behind now. They need to get facilities and get modernized. There should not be a delay in it. Time cannot wait," the prime minister said.

6:27 PM

Fight is against three farm laws, not the govt: Boxer Vijender Singh

Boxer and Congress leader Vijender Singh on Friday distributed food at a langar organised by the Jamindara Student Organisation (JSO) for protesting farmers at the Tikri Border on Friday.

 

While speaking to ANI, Vijender Singh said that his fight is not against the government but against the newly enacted farm laws. "We are here to serve the farmers of our country. Our fight is not against the government but the three black laws," he said.

 

Singh had also joined the farmers' agitation at Singhu border (Haryana-Delhi border) on December 6 and said that he will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award if the new agriculture laws are not withdrawn.

5:58 PM

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan showers flowers on farmers at 'Kisan Kalyan' event

5:38 PM

Farm laws was long-pending demand; MSP will continue: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that political parties, experts and even farmers had been demanding new farm laws for long, and assured that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism for crops will continue. Addressing farmers of Madhya Pradesh through virtual mode, he alleged that opposition parties themselves advocated such laws, but now they were protesting because they did not want him to get credit for the reforms.

 

The government was ready 24 hours to talk with farmers, the prime minister said, as the agitation against the new agri laws at Delhi borders entered its 23rd day.

 

"The new agriculture laws have not come overnight but political parties, agriculture experts and progressive farmers have demanded it for a long time. "In the last 20-22 years, the Center and the state governments have deliberated on these agriculture reforms in detail. Farmer bodies, agriculture scientists and farmers too were continuously demanding them," he said.

 

"In fact, farmers should seek answers from those opposing them now as to why they advocated these farm laws in their manifestos for getting their votes, but never fulfilled the promise. It was not their priority," Modi said.

4:46 PM

All India Kisan Sabha announces support for farm protests

The All India Kisan Sabha on Friday said it would join farmers protesting in Delhi against the new farm laws introduced by the Centre. The announcement was made in Nashik by AIKS leaders Ajit Nawale and Ashok Dhawale, Centre for Indian Trade Unions' state president Dr D M Darar and Sunil Malusare among others.

 

"The three laws are aimed at allowing corporates to make profits at the cost of farmers. To oppose them, we will leave from Nashik on December 21 and take part in the protests underway. Thousands of farmers are expected to join us," said Dhawale.

 

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting at Delhi borders for more than three weeks. At least five rounds of formal talks have been held between the Centre and 40 farmer unions to break the deadlock, but the unions are demanding complete rollback of these laws.

 

He said the AIKS and allied outfits would also protest against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and claimed it was meant to privatise the sector, which would result in higher power bills for people.