Farmers' protest LIVE: Committed to continuing MSP in Haryana, says CM

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: BJP's lone member in the Kerala Assembly, O Rajagopal, today, supported the resolution seeking scrapping of the three contentious farm laws.Stay tuned for latest updates

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 35: The Haryana Police on Thursday used a water cannon and tear gas as farmers on tractor-trailers broke through barricades at the Shahjahanpur border with Rajasthan, trying to push towards the national capital. While farmers on around 25 tractor-trailers pushed past the Haryana Police barriers, others stayed behind on the Rajasthan side of the Shahjahanpur-Rewari border, police said.

In an unprecedented move, BJP's lone member in the Kerala Assembly, O Rajagopal, today, supported the resolution seeking scrapping of the three contentious farm laws against which farmers have been agitating for over a month at the Delhi border. 
 

The sixth round of meetings between protesting farmers and the government ended on Wednesday with the Centre saying that the two sides had reached consensus on two out of four key issues. The next meeting will take place on January 4.

Addressing media persons after the meeting with 41 farmer leaders at Vigyan Bhavan, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said: "Today's talks were held in a very good environment and concluded on a positive note. We have had consensus on two out of the four issues."

The next meeting of government with farmers will take place on January 4.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have been protesting at several borders of the national capital demanding the repeal of the three farm laws, among other demands.

8:47 PM

Over Rs 70,000 crore economic loss in Q3 due to farmers' agitation: PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The farmers' agitation against new agri laws will lead to economic loss of over Rs 70,000 crore in the December quarter owing to supply chain disruptions, particularly in Punjab, Haryana and border areas of Delhi, the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Thursday.

 

The chamber's President Sanjay Aggarwal said "the 36 days farm agitation so far will have more than Rs 70,000 crore economic loss in the Q3 FY 2020-21 due to...disruption in supply chains and day-to-day economic activities particularly in the progressive states of Punjab and Haryana and border areas of National capital Delhi."

 

The consensus reached between the government and farmers on two points -- penalties for stubble burning and Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020 -- is highly appreciable and the chamber looks forward to an early resolution of the remaining two issues as well, he added. Talks between the farmers and the Centre remain deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP.

7:54 PM

BJP leader O Rajagopal makes U-turn, says he opposed Kerala assembly resolution on farm laws

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader O Rajagopal who had told media on Thursday that he "did not object to the general consensus" in Kerala Assembly regarding farm laws issued a statement later stating that he argued that the central government was always ready for talks and "opposed the resolution" adopted by the assembly.

 

"I have strongly opposed the resolution against farm laws today in the Assembly. I did not oppose the central government. I said that the farm laws were very beneficial to the farmers. When ruling and opposition MLAs alleged that the Prime Minister was not negotiating with the farmers, I argued that the central government was always ready for the talks," Rajagopal said in a statement.

 

"I said that farmer unions stand that they would engage in dialogue only after withdrawing the farm laws is the reason for the protests to continue in a prolonged manner. The statements that I am against the central government are baseless," he added.

 

6:55 PM

Rajasthan-Haryana border: Cops use water cannon, tear gas as farmers break through barricades

The Haryana Police on Thursday used a water cannon and tear gas as farmers on tractor-trailers broke through barricades at the Shahjahanpur border with Rajasthan, trying to push towards the national capital. While farmers on around 25 tractor-trailers pushed past the Haryana Police barriers, others stayed behind on the Rajasthan side of the Shahjahanpur-Rewari border, police said.

 

Farmers have been on a dharna at the site, blocking the road for several days in protest over the three new agri-marketing laws enacted at the Centre.

 

Farmer leaders at the site made clear that the protesters who forced their way into Haryana did not have their consent. Kisan Mahapanchayat president Rampal Jat said the agitation was going on peacefully but some of the farmers forcibly entered Hayaran, which was not expected of them. Haryana Police officials said a group of farmers, mostly youths, broke through the barricades set up by them in a bid to move towards Delhi.

 

The Haryana Police tried to stop them using a water cannon and tear gas even as their leaders urged them not go towards the national capital, they said.

5:50 PM

A group of agitating farmers breaks through police barricades to enter Haryana

5:15 PM

No New Year celebrations until govt accepts our demands: Farmers protesting at Singhu border

Thousands of farmers protesting at the Singhu border for over a month now will ring in the New Year sans any celebrations.

 

"There is no New Year for us until the government accepts our demands," said Harjinder Singh from Punjab's Ropar, who has been camping at the Delhi-Haryana border since November 25.

 

In the last round of talks on Wednesday, the government addressed the farmers' concerns over the increasing power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but that wasn't good enough news to celebrate yet, said the farmers. Among the issues that continue to remain unresolved are the revocation of the new farm laws and a legal guarantee of the minimum support price for their crops.

 

"Both the demands that they have agreed to were not laws yet. Their impact was yet to be felt. And we went to the government with the demands with clarity. They cannot pick and choose what suits them. They have to listen to all our demands, said Harmesh Singh, a farmer from Punjab's Hoshiarpur.

 

"If the government wants to see our strength, we will show them. People like us who are used to living in 'kothis' (bungalows) are now sleeping on the road. We have been protesting peacefully for a month, we can keep protesting for a year too, added Bhupinder Singh, also from Hoshiarpur.

4:52 PM

A group of agitating farmers breaks through police barricades to enter Haryana

4:38 PM

Committed to continuation of MSP in Haryana, says CM Manohar Lal Khattar

3:55 PM

BJP gains new grounds in 2020 but farmers protest poses challenge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to convert 'aapda' (crisis) into 'avsar' (opportunity) paid the BJP rich dividends in a year when the COVID-19 convulsed the society and the economy as a mix of the ruling dispensation's welfare measures, organisational might and ideological drive saw the saffron party gain new territories in 2020.

 

Governments in most of the world saw their approval ratings dip as they struggled to contain the raging virus, which hit economy hard everywhere, but Indian politics followed a different script, with the outgoing year marking further shrinking of a rudderless Congress while the ruling BJP soared riding on Modi's enduring appeal. However, challenges emerged for the BJP as the year drew to a close.

 

Mass protests from a large section of farmers, especially from Punjab, against sweeping reforms brought in the agriculture sector through three laws by the Modi government have presented it with one of the most serious challenges since it first came to power in 2014. Shiromani Akali Dal, one of the BJP's oldest and steadfast allies, severed its ties with the party, leaving the Modi cabinet without any representation from a non-BJP party.

3:19 PM

Kerala govt doing 'futile' exercise by passing resolution against farm laws: V Muraleedharan

As the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution against the three contentious farm laws brought by the Centre on Thursday, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs has said that it is a "futile exercise" because the law has been passed by the Parliament.

 

"Kerala Assembly is doing a futile exercise because the law has been passed by Parliament. It is like going against the general view of the whole country," Muraleedharan told ANI. "If Kerala government is so particular that every farmer should sell his produce as per APMC act, Kerala should enact such a law. Government of India has brought this law to give better remuneration to farmers," he added.

 

He continued saying that the Kerala Assembly and government should devote their time on the issues really concerning the farmers of Kerala and they should not misuse the public money.

2:26 PM

I opposed certain references made in resolution against farm laws: BJP MLA, Kerala

1:59 PM

Lone BJP member in Kerala Assembly supports resolution against farm laws

In an unprecedented move, BJP's lone member in the Kerala Assembly, O Rajagopal, on Thursday, supported the resolution seeking scrapping of the three contentious farm laws against which farmers have been agitating for over a month at the Delhi border. CM Pinarayi Vijayan had moved the resolution at a special session on Thursday which was unanimously passed by the House with the ruling LDF, Opposition Congress-led UDF and the BJP supporting it.

 

"The resolution was passed unanimously. I have told my views... with regard to some matters (in the resolution) there was a difference of opinion, which I had pointed out in the House", he told mediapersons after the session. "I fully support the resolution", he said.

 

When pointed out that the resolution was for scrapping the three central farm laws, Rajagopal said he supported it (resolution). "I supported the resolution and the central government should withdraw the three farm laws," the senior BJP leader said, adding he agreed with the general consensus in the House.

12:56 PM

Complaint filed against Bharatiya Kisan Union leader for derogatory remarks

A complaint against Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader, Rakesh Tikait, has been filed at the Shivaji Nagar police station in Gurugram over his alleged controversial remarks in a speech on December 25 at a protesting site in Haryana's Palwal district.

 

Tikait is alleged to have made the comments against the Brahmins, saying that they were not supporting the ongoing farmers demonstration.

 

The complaint was filed on Wednesday evening by a local advocate of the district court court. Read on...

12:53 PM

Several border points in Delhi remain closed as farmers' protest continues

Thousands of farmers stayed put at their protest venues near Delhi's border on Thursday as their talks with the government remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP.

 

The government and farm unions had reached some common ground on Wednesday to resolve protesting farmers' concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning. Read on...

12:51 PM

Kerala Assembly passes resolution against farm laws, wants them scrapped

The Kerala Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution demanding the scrapping of the three contentious central farm laws, against which farmers were agitating in Delhi, saying they were 'anti-farmer' and 'pro-corporate.'

 

The resolution was passed in a special session convened in compliance with COVID-19 protocols to express solidarity with the agitating farmers.

 

The members of the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-headed UDF supported the resolution whole-heartedly.

 

Though the lone BJP member in the state assembly, O Rajagopal raised objections against some references in the resolution, he did not object to it. Read on...

11:26 AM

Farmers' genuine concerns should be addressed and the Centre should withdraw all three farm laws: Kerala govt

Kerala Assembly passes resolution against the three farm laws brought by the Central Government. The resolution says, 'farmers' genuine concerns should be addressed and the Centre should withdraw all three farm laws.'