Farmers' protest LIVE: Unions call for 'All-India Bandh' on Tuesday

Farmers protest LIVE updates Day 9: Another round of discussions will be held on Saturday in a bid to forge a resolution. Stay tuned for latest updates on farmers' protest

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 9: Hardening their position ahead of the fifth round of talks with the government, agitating farmers on Friday announced a 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8 and said they would occupy toll plazas on that day. Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadoni said if the Centre does not accept their demands during Saturday's talks, they will intensify their agitation against the new farm laws.

Another round of discussions will be held on Saturday in a bid to forge a resolution. The government side, led by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, assured the group of nearly 40 farmer leaders that all their valid concerns would be discussed and considered with an open mind, but the farmers stuck to their demand that the three "hastily-passed" farm laws be repealed, saying there were several loopholes and deficiencies. A press conference by the farmer leaders today would further clear their stand.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the farm reform legislations were brought in after elaborate stakeholder consultations and a lot of homework, and will benefit farmers. Asserting that the reforms were not done in a jiffy, she said the agriculture minister is meeting farmers with an open mind and hoped that a solution will be found soon.

Meanwhile, Akali Dal stalwart and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returned his Padma Vibhushan award in protest against the Centre's new farm laws.

Delhi's border points remained choked as thousands of farmers from Haryana, Punjab, and other states held demonstrations for the ninth consecutive day, after talks with the government failed to yield any resolution on Thursday.
 

The agitating farmers have urged the Union government to convene a special session of Parliament to repeal the three farm laws, besides threatening to hold a nationwide protest on December 5.

Stay tuned for farmers' protest LIVE UPDATES
 

1:56 AM

Congress will bring no-confidence motion on farm laws: Hooda

Amid the ongoing farmers' stir, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the Congress will bring a no-confidence motion in the Legislative Assembly on the farm laws. During a press conference on Friday, he said the Congress will urge the Governor to call a special Assembly session in this regard. Hooda said that the present government has lost the trust of the people and the Assembly.

He said that he has never seen such a big farmer demonstration movement in his political career. The former CM also took a dig at the current Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar who said that Haryana farmers had no involvement in the movement. He said Khattar should tell where the farmers, who were lathi-charged at Pipli (Kurukshetra), were from. He also demanded the resignation of Agriculture Minister JP Dalal for making a statement that the farmers are receiving funding from foreign countries.

 

1:55 AM

Jain visits Singhu border, says directions issued to make more arrangements for farmers

Delhi minister Satyendar Jain on Friday visited the Singhu border, a site of the ongoing farmers' agitation, and said the AAP is available to serve the agriculturists at all times. "The farmers are the backbone of our nation. If standing with the farmers is politics, then everyone should be involved in this revolution," he said. "Instructions have been issued to make more arrangements for fire and water proof tents," Jain was quoted as saying in a statement.

It said Jain visited the Singhu border which is witnessing the ongoing farmers' agitation in solidarity with the protesters and also to review the amenities made available for them by Delhi government during their peaceful revolution. He said health camps, ambulances, water supply are being provided to the farmers. The minister also alleged that the Punjab chief minister and BJP were "working in unison to harass the farmers", and that if they wanted, a solution could have been devised at the earliest.

1:44 AM

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh suggests 4 amendments to farm laws

RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Kisan Sangh proposed on Friday four amendments to the three contentious central farm laws to make it "farmer-friendly" and address the apprehensions that have led to protests. Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi's gateways to demand a repeal of the new farm laws. The protesters are worried the legislations would eliminate the safety cushion of a minimum support price (MSP), while rendering ineffective the wholesale market system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

"Instead of scrapping the new laws as some organisations have been demanding, we propose four amendments in these legislations," BKS general secretary Badri Narayan Chaudhary said, adding that it would be enough to address the apprehensions. The amendments are that there should be no purchasing below the MSP in the wholesale markets or outside, registration of all traders on a government portal that can be accessed by all, payment to the farmers in a stipulated time through bank guarantee and setting up of the agriculture tribunals for resolution of farmers' disputes in their hometown itself.

The BKS welcomed the new laws that it said was a "long-pending demand". Chaudhary said the outfit had been pushing for 'one nation-one market' since long.

1:42 AM

BJP passed farm laws to help its 'crony capitalist friends': Congress' Surjewala

The Congress on Friday alleged that the Modi government through the new agriculture laws was trying to help its "crony capitalist friends" and not farmers. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the BJP's intentions of helping farmers were doubtful as the chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Haryana have said they would take action against anyone from outside their states who sells farm produce there.

"On one hand PM Modi says farmers can sell their produce anywhere in the country while chief ministers of BJP-ruled states like ML Khattar, Shivraj Chouhan say that if any farmer enters their state they would put them behind bars," he said during a virtual event held on Facebook. Surjewala was explaining the Congress' stand against the Centre's three farm laws. "This is the double speak and duplicity of the Modi Government and the BJP only wants to help crony capitalist friends and there are two facets to it," he said. Giving an example of the alleged discrepancies in the new laws, Surjewala said it will be "impossible" for a farmer to transport rice from Haryana to Hyderabad.

11:48 PM

SGPC announces compensation for kin of farmers who died during agitation

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Bibi Jagir Kaur announced on Friday a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to the family members of the farmers who died due to different causes during their agitation. The decision was announced in the newly-appointed president's first executive meeting in Amritsar. Addressing a press conference, the SGPC chief said the apex gurdwara body was always committed to extend any help to the farmer community protesting at the Delhi borders against the Centre's contentious farm laws.

According to Kaur, seven farmers have died due to different causes and Rs 1 lakh each would be given to the kin. She said the SGPC would provide temporary toilets for females who have joined the protest. Kaur said all historic gurdwaras under the SGPC would hold a prayer ceremony on Monday for the well-being of farmers.

11:20 PM

Protesting farmers stay put at Noida border with Delhi near Mayur Vihar

10:33 PM

500 farmers protest in Palwal, block one lane of Delhi-Agra highway

Around 500 farmers belonging to Bundelkhand region reached Palwal in Haryana and started a protest on the Delhi-Agra national highway, the group's national president Vimal Kumar Sharma said on Friday. A group of 500 farmers belonging to the Bundelkhand region had started from Banda district to join the farmers protest against the new farm laws in the national capital, Sharma said on phone from Palwal.

On reaching Palwal, the farmers blocked one lane of the national highway and on Saturday, another lane will be blocked, Sharma warned. He added that 300 farmers belonging to Hoshangabad and Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh are also sitting with the the farmers associated with Bundelkhand Kisan Union while around 1,000 farmers from Bundelkhand region are also leaving to join the protest on Saturday and Sunday.

10:25 PM

Amarinder calls Badal's decision to return Padma award theatrics

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh calls decision of Shiromani Akali Dal stalwart Parkash Singh Badal to return his Padma Vibhushan theatrics, wonders why he was even given country's second-highest civilian honour

9:00 PM

TMC calls for three-day protest in Kolkata against Centre's farm laws

Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for a 3-day protest in Kolkata in support of farmers against the new farm laws. The decision was taken in the internal meeting chaired by the Chief Minister with Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and district presidents of the state, sources from TMC informed ANI.

 

TMC will stage Dharna on December 8, 9, and 10 against recently enacted farm laws near the Gandhi Statue in Kolkata.

 

In a series of tweets, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Thursday tweeted, "I am very much concerned about the farmers, their lives and livelihood. The central government must withdraw the anti-farmer bills. If they do not do so immediately we will agitate throughout the state and the country. From the very start, we have been strongly opposing these anti-farmer bills."

 

"The government is selling everything. You cannot sell Railways, Air India, Coal, BSNL, BHEL, banks, defense, etc. Withdraw ill-conceived disinvestment and privatization policy. We must not allow the treasures of our nation to be transformed into the BJP party's personal assets," she had added.

8:49 PM

Farm reforms not done in a jiffy: FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the farm reform legislations were brought in after elaborate stakeholder consultations and a lot of homework, and will benefit farmers. Asserting that the reforms were not done in a jiffy, she said the agriculture minister is meeting farmers with an open mind and hoped that a solution will be found soon.

 

"Between 2014-2020, we have proven that we take MSP (Minimum Support Price) seriously," she said.

 

Sitharaman said that the agriculture ministry has gone through the process of talking to stakeholders and these are the things that have been in discussions for very long time. She also said that national parties, state level parties have all mentioned it at different times that these are reforms which were long awaited.

 

"Many Parliamentary committees have also discussed some aspects... it is not something which is just done in a jiffy. They have gone through the grind for sometime," she said.

 

Sitharaman said that if there are farmers who have some doubt, "I am glad the agriculture minister is engaging in a meaningful conversation with them with an open mind. I am sure something will come out of it".

8:36 PM

Farmers' protest LIVE: Security personnel continue to guard Tikri border

8:19 PM

AAP MP seeks Parliament's special session to repeal farm laws

Amid the ongoing farmers' agitation, AAP MP Bhagwant Mann on Friday said he has sought a special session of Parliament for the repeal of the Centre's three farm laws. He said it is the only way forward to end the agrarian stalemate.

 

Mann, who is a Lok Sabha member from Sangrur seat in Punjab, has written a letter to Speaker Om Birla, seeking convening of a special session of the Lower House to repeal the Center's three farm laws. In a statement here, Mann also accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of having a stubborn attitude towards farmers' demands.

 

"The Centre is maintaining a stubborn stance against farmers and their demands, he said, adding had the government's intentions been clear, the issue would have been resolved in minutes.

 

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other areas have stayed put at various Delhi 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.

8:04 PM

Interstate bus services of DTC suspended since Nov 27 owing to farmers' protest

Interstate buses of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) have not been plying since November 27 due to the farmers' protest against the Centre's new farm laws at the borders of the city, a senior official said on Friday. The DTC's interstate services, mainly to Gurgaon and Bahadurgarh, were suspended after the start of the farmers' protest at the borders on November 27, the official said.

 

Due to demonstration by farmers, most borders with other states have been closed for traffic movement. Accordingly some routes have been diverted by the DTC as advised by area Traffic Police, said R S Minhas, deputy chief general manager (PR) of DTC.

 

"The Interstate operation is closed and will be restored after the position normalises," he said.

 

Key routes at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh remained choked as thousands of farmers held demonstrations for the ninth consecutive day against the Centre's farm laws.

7:52 PM

Amid farmers agitation, Kisan Congress working without regular chief

Joining the party's Delhi unit and the Youth Congress in lending a helping hand to agitating farmers on the borders of the national capital, the Congress farmer's wing, the Kisan Congress, remains headless even a year after its national chief Nana Patole became the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker. Patole, who was made the chief of the Kisan Congress in September 2018, had offered to step down after the 2019 Lok Sabha poll debacle, but his resignation was not accepted by the party.

 

Since December 2019, the Kisan Congress has been functioning without a regular chief, even during the massive farmers agitation on the Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders over the three farm laws.

 

Thousands of farmers have been demanding the repeal of these laws. Their second round of talks with the government on Thursday remained inconclusive, and the third round is scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoon.

7:30 PM

Volunteers distribute medicines to protesting farmers at Ghazipur border