LIVE: Govt proposes to hold farm laws for 1.5 yrs, farmers say will revert

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Govt proposed to keep the three farm laws suspended for a fixed time period of one year or so. Stay tuned for LIVE updates

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 56: The government on Wednesday proposed to suspend the three contentious farm laws for one and half years and set up a joint committee to discuss the Acts to end the stalemate, but farmer leaders did not immediately accept the proposal and said they will revert after their internal consultations.

The next meeting has been scheduled for January 22, a day after the farmer unions hold their internal discussions on Thursday, farmer leaders said after the 10th round of talks ended at Vigyan Bhawan here after nearly five hours of talks, including two breaks.

In the last round of talks, the government had asked protesting farmers to prepare a concrete proposal about their objections and suggestions on the three farm laws for further discussion at their next meeting to end the long-running protest. But, unions stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.
 

Protesting farmer unions on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that they would not participate in meetings and deliberations to be held by the court-appointed committee to address their grievances and maintained they wanted the new farm laws repealed. 
 

Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, are protesting for nearly two-months at various Delhi borders against the three farm laws enacted by the central government in September 2020.

9:17 PM

Will not participate in meetings of court-appointed committee: Farmers unions to SC

Protesting farmer unions on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that they would not participate in meetings and deliberations to be held by the court-appointed committee to address their grievances and maintained they wanted the new farm laws repealed. The top court told the lawyers appearing for farmers unions that all it wanted is resolution of the impasse and peace, while clarifying committee has not been given adjudicatory powers and it will only submit its report to it.

 

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian was informed by senior advocate Dushyant Dave and advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the farmer unions, who have been made party in the case that they had firm belief that farm laws are against their interest.

 

Bhushan said, We have instructions from our clients to tell that they have taken a stand that they will not participate in the meetings and deliberations to be held by the committee.

 

During the hearing conducted through video conferencing on a plea of Kisan Mahapanchayat' a farmers body from Rajasthan, the bench said, You don't want to appear before the committee is understandable, but casting aspersions on someone because he expressed his view is not done. You don't need to brand anybody like this.

 

8:59 PM

Farmers' tractor rally 'rehearsal' held in Gurugram

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in Gurugram conducted a tractor rally 'rehearsal' in Gurugram on Wednesday ahead of Republic Day, in support of the farmers' protests against the three farm laws. SKM president Chaudhary Santokh Singh, farmers and other members of the Morcha participated in the event.

 

Singh said hundreds of tractors and other vehicles which had affixed the national flag on their vehicles started their journey at 12 noon and covered major stretches of the city.

 

"The tractor rally rehearsal started from the Bajghera flyover and later moved towards Palam Vihar Road, Sheetla Mata Road, Atul Kataria Chowk and Maharana Pratap Chowk. The rally covered around 12 kms in the city," Singh said.

 

However, when the tractor rally cavalcade reached the Maharana Pratap Chowk the police personnel stationed at the chowk stopped the tractor rally by erecting barricades at the location as the farmers wanted to go on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway.

8:51 PM

Possibility of finding a resolution on Jan 22: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

8:31 PM

Don't call committee biased, resolve farm laws deadlock: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday did not leave any stone unturned to persuade the farmer unions, agitating against the three farm laws, to talk to the court-appointed committee to resolve the deadlock.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde and comprising Justices A. S Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian slammed the barrage of criticism unleashed at the committee members for having expressed views on the three farm laws.

 

"You people unthinkingly cast aspersions on people, someone expressed some opinion in the past, and you find them unqualified," the Chief Justice told counsel appearing for Kisan Mahapanchayat, which sought modification of its order January 12, naming the members on the committee.

 

The farmers union sought replacement of the existing members, who are perceived pro-farm laws, with persons, who have independent thoughts and views on the laws.

8:19 PM

Centre said a committee would be formed on MSP and agri laws: All India Kisan Sabha

8:03 PM

Tenth round of talks makes no progress, farmers and govt to meet on Jan 22

A tenth round of talks between farmer unions and three union ministers on Wednesday ended with a solution to the stalemate over new agricultural laws protesters say threaten their livelihoods. The two sides will meet again on January 22.
 

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, held talks with representatives of 40 farmer unions at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi.

 

"The stalemate is continuing over the three laws and I don't think any solution will emerge from today's meeting. Both sides are adamant on their position," said Yudhvir Singh, a leader of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), told PTI during a break in the talks. READ ON...

7:47 PM

RTI reply exposes Centre's 'lies' on farm laws: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

With an RTI response exposing the Centre's claim on the farm laws having been approved by the high-powered committee on agricultural reforms, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said it was now obvious that the Akalis and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been spreading lies at the behest of the Central government.

 

Media reports citing a reply by the Planning Commission to a Right to Information (RTI) query suggest that the farm Ordinances were promulgated and introduced in Parliament in June 2020 without the report of the chief ministers' committee being ever appraised by the Governing Council of NITI Aayog.

 

This, said the Punjab Chief Minister, was in stark contrast to the claims of the Central government, which both Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AAP had been parroting in an apparent bid to promote the BHP's anti-farmer agenda.

7:07 PM

Constitute committee with farmers and govt: Agriculture Minister to farmer unions

6:27 PM

Govt offers to amend farm laws; Farmer leaders insist on repeal, discussion on MSP

The government on Wednesday offered to amend the three contentious farm laws at their 10th round of talks with protesting unions but farmer leaders stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of the Acts and alleged that the Centre was avoiding discussion on a legal guarantee for MSP.

 

Farmer leaders said there was no breakthrough in the first two sessions as both sides were stuck on their stated positions vis-a-vis the three farm laws and there was little hope of any outcome other than fixing the date for the 11th round. Sources also said the government proposed to keep the three farm laws suspended for a fixed time period of one year or so and form a committee comprising of farmer union leaders and government representatives.

 

The ministers proposed that the laws would remain suspended till the committee gives its report and urged farmer unions to suspend their agitation till that time, sources added. The proposal, however, did not find any support from the farm leaders.

5:53 PM

Akali leader Sirsa urges Govt to mark Gurupurab by repealing contentious farm laws

Akali Dal leader Majinder Sirsa on Wednesday said the government should mark the auspicious occasion of Gurupurab by repealing the three contentious farm laws, against which thousands of farmers are protesting for almost two months on borders of the national capital.

 

Sirsa, who also heads Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC), further said the proposed tractor rally by farmers will take place as per the schedule on January 26 whether the Delhi police allocate a route or not. He was speaking to reporters after delivering langar food for farmer leaders attending their tenth round of talks with the government at Vigyan Bhawan.

 

Sirsa said farmers are peace-loving and patriotic by nature and it is strange that the Centre feels they may disrupt the atmosphere on Republic Day.

5:10 PM

Farm laws panel has no power to judge, 'don't cast aspersions': SC

The Supreme Court Wednesday expressed strong displeasure over the aspersions cast by some farmers' unions on members of the court-appointed committee to resolve the impasse over new farm laws and said it has not given any adjudicating authority to the panel.

 

The Centre, meanwhile, withdrew its petition seeking injunction against the proposed tractor rally by farmers on the Republic Day after the apex court said it was police matter.

 

On the issue pertaining to the committee, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it had appointed experts in the panel as the judges are not experts on the subject. READ ON...

4:25 PM

SC irked over aspersions cast on members of court-appointed committee on farm laws

The Supreme Court Wednesday expressed strong displeasure over the aspersions cast by some farmers' unions on members of the court-appointed committee to resolve the impasse over new farm laws, saying no adjudicating authority has been given to the experts who would hear grievances and give report only.

 

Meanwhile, the hopes of Delhi Police to get a judicial order to stop the proposed tractor rally by the protesting farmers on the Republic Day in the national capital were dashed as the top court asked the Centre to withdraw the plea, saying it was a police matter and was not an issue for the court to pass orders.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde issued notice and sought response of Attorney General K K Venugopal on a separate plea of Kisan Mahapanchayat, farmers body from Rajasthan, seeking removal of three remaining members of the apex-court appointed panel and the replacement of Bhupinder Singh Mann who had recused himself from the panel.

3:44 PM

Farmers' tractor rally on R-Day: Union leaders reject suggestion of alternative route

Farmer unions opposing the Centre's new agri laws on Wednesday rejected a suggestion by police officers to hold their proposed January 26 tractor rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway instead of Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road, PTI report  said. Union leaders and officers of the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana police forces had met at the Vigyan Bhawan here to discuss the route and arrangements of the proposed rally on Republic Day.

 

The farmer leaders were suggested by the police officers to take out their rally on the KundliManesarPalwal (KMP) Expressway, but they did not agree. The Outer Ring Road passes through several areas of Delhi such as Vikaspuri, Janakpuri, Uttam Nagar, Burari Peeragarhi and Pitampura.

 

There might be another round of talks with the police officers on Thursday, a farmer leader, who attended the meeting, said. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at several Delhi border points against the laws for the last 56 days and unions representing them have begun holding tractor rallies at villages in Punjab to mobilise people for the demonstration on Republic Day.

3:25 PM

Union ministers start 10th round of talks with protesting farmer unions

The tenth round of talks between protesting farmer unions and three central ministers got underway here on Wednesday to break the over-a-month-long deadlock on the three new agri laws. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, are holding the talks with the representatives of around 40 farmer unions at the Vigyan Bhawan here.

 

The tenth round of talks was initially scheduled on January 19, but later got postponed to Wednesday.

 

In the last round of talks, the government had asked protesting farmers to prepare a concrete proposal about their objections and suggestions on the three farm laws for further discussion at their next meeting to end the long-running protest. But, unions stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.

3:22 PM

SC declines to entertain plea to stop tractor rally on Republic Day

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain an application by Centre through Delhi Police to stop protesting farmer unions from carrying out tractor rally into the Capital on Republic Day.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said it is highly improper for the court to intervene in the matter, as the police is the first authority to decide on the issue of law and order. The top court also turned down the Centre's request to have a hearing on the matter on January 25 and also keep the application pending. The Centre withdrew the application from the top court.

 

The Chief Justice told Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, that "you are the executive, you have authority to take whatever action through police.....Centre has powers to act on law and order, we won't intervene." READ ON...