LIVE: Punjab CM calls all-party meet on Feb 2 to discuss farmers' agitation

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Prime Minister Modi tells political parties that his government is trying to resolve the issues raised by farmers.

2:00 PM

India pained by 'insult to tricolour' on R-Day: Modi on farmer protests

India was "deeply anguished" by the insult to the national flag on Republic Day last week, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, referring to farmers breaching the Red Fort in Delhi during protests against three agriculture laws.

 

Modi, in his monthly radio speech 'Mann Ki Baat', spoke about protesters hoisting flags at the Fort after hundreds of them deviated from agreed routes and breached the heart of Delhi. Farmers commandeered cranes and used ropes to tear down roadblocks miles from routes approved by the police, forcing the police in riot gear to fall back and let them pass during Republic Day celebrations.

 

1:25 PM

Farmers want respectful solution: Naresh Tikait

“A respectful solution should be reached. We will never agree to anything under pressure,” farmer leader Naresh Tikait tells PTI. “We will honor and respect the dignity of prime minister. Farmers don't want that the government or Parliament bows down to them," he says at the Ghazipur border between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

1:14 PM

Govt should release farmers: Naresh Tikait

"The government should release our men and prepare a platform for talks; hoping that a middle way is found," Naresh Tikait, a leader of the farmer protests, is quoted as saying by PTI. 

9:50 AM

Gurjar leaders accuses BJP MLA of violence

Madan Bhaiyya, a leader of the Gurjar community in western Uttar Pradesh, has said he supports the Bharatiya Kisan Union in its protest against the three farm laws. "The ruckus created by one anti-national element has embarrassed the whole country and because of this the protesting farmers felt discouraged and demotivated despite being innocent," he said about the violence during protests on January 26. Bhaiyya was referring to Nand Kishor Gurjar, a BJP legislator in Uttar Pradesh assembly whom farmers blame for violence at Ghazipur on January 26.

8:33 AM

Delhi Police file 38 cases for violence on Jan. 26

Police in Delhi have registered 38 FIRs—the official term for a case--and arrested 84 people for violence during farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day, Hindustan Times reported. The police has received 1,700 mobile clips and security camera footage from the public in connection with the violence.

8:15 AM

Famers protests peaceful, says Union leader

Balbir Singh Rajewal, a union leader, said on Saturday that there was a “conspiracy” to provoke the farmers protesting at the Singhu border. “We have been holding a peaceful agitation at Delhi’s borders. The agitation is peaceful today as well,” Rajewal, president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal), told reporters.

8:12 AM

One more case against Tharoor, journalits

One more police case has been filed against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and journalists including Rajdeep Sardesai, this time in Delhi, for their posts on social media and comments on the violence that broke out during a tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day, NDTV.com reported. The other journalists named in the Delhi Police FIR are Mrinal Pande, Paresh Nath, Anant Nath and Vinod K Jose. The Uttar Pradesh Police was the first to file an FIR in Noida that includes charges for alleged sedition, followed by a similar case filed by the police in Madhya Pradesh. 

 

8:44 PM

Farmers' protest: Mumbai Press Club condemns FIRs against journalists

The Mumbai Press Clubon Saturday condemned the registration of multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) against journalists over the coverage of farmers' tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day, according to PTI. Filing of cases against journalists shows the government's growing intolerance for those who differ with it, it said.

FIRs have been filed in Delhi as well in as some BJP- ruled states including Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh against journalists Rajdeep Sardesai, Mrinal Pande and others regarding their coverage of the rally or their comments on it. The tractor rally undertaken by farmers who have been protesting against the new farm laws of the Union government had turned violent. PTI quoting a statement said, the Mumbai Press Club, a journalists' body, said the events during the rally were chaotic and information was not available easily.

There was a clear "intelligence lapse" on the part of the Delhi Police which had lost control of the situation, the Press Club said. "In these circumstances, to pin blame on the journalists for being responsible for the violence and disruption, is reprehensible," it said.

8:19 PM

Shivraj Singh Chouhan transfers Rs 400 cr to farmers' accounts under CM Kisan Kalyan Yojana

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday transferred an amount of Rs 400 crore to the accounts of 20 lakh farmers of the state under CM Kisan Kalyan Yojana, according to PTI. "I am grateful to the people of Sagar for having given us a record mandate. I want to assure them that their trust will never be violated, even at the cost of our lives," said Chouhan while addressing a public rally in Sagar.

"Madhya Pradesh's development was hampered for around 1.5 years (during previous government's tenure), which has now resumed again. Rs 400 crore has been transferred to the accounts of 20 lakh farmers today. In February and March Rs 400 crore will again be transferred to farmers' accounts," he added. Madhya Pradesh CM further stated now every farmer of the state gets Rs 10,000 per year. "Treatment of underprivileged people up to Rs 5 lakh will be done under Ayushman Yojana, not only in government but also in private hospitals. We have carried out the work of making the Ayushman Card of two crore citizens of the state," said Chouhan.

7:49 PM

Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa urges CM to use resources to find missing farmers

Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday urged Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to use all available sources to trace over 100 farmers who have been missing since January 26 tractor rally in Delhi, according to PTI. Citing some media reports, Bajwa wrote to Amarinder Singh, saying over 100 farmers from the state have been missing since the incidents that occurred on January 26 in Delhi. There has been no word to the families regarding their status or present conditions, claimed the Rajya Sabha MP.

I urge you to use all resources available to the government of Punjab to trace these farmers and ensure their return, wrote Bajwa, PTI quoted. It is extremely worrying that Punjabi farmers have been detained with no information being shared with their families or lawyers, he added in his letter. Citing the stone-pelting incident at Delhi's Singhu border on Friday, Bajwa, in a statement here, also urged the CM to deploy the Punjab police personnel for the safety of protesting farmers at protest sites.

We all witnessed the violence that was unleashed against protesting farmers at the Singhu border. It is quite clear that our farmers are under threat from various groups who wish to malign their peaceful protests, he claimed.

7:48 PM

At all-party meeting, TMC requests govt to repeal farm laws

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday appealed to the government to withdraw the three contentious farm laws at an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the smooth conduct of the Budget Session of Parliament, according to PTI. According to PTI sources, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay told the meeting that the prime minister must convene an all-party meeting for a threadbare discussion on the farmer issue.

"This will send a good message that the government is democratic. Twenty opposition parties boycotted the President's address (to the joint sitting of Parliament) which sent out a strong message for the government to withdraw the farm laws. Majoritarianism cannot let farmers suffer," a source quoted the TMC MP as having told the meeting. Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding the rollback of the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. The protest took a violent turn during the farmers' tractor rally on January 26.

6:31 PM

38 FIRs registered, 84 people arrested in connection with tractor rally violence: Delhi Police

Total 38 FIRs registered and 84 people arrested so far in connection with 26th January violence: Delhi Police

5:45 PM

Tractor rally violence on Jan 26 scripted by BJP with help of Delhi Police: AAP

AAP claims that violence that took place during tractor parade on January 26 was scripted by BJP with help of Delhi Police to 'defame and discredit' farmers' movement, according to PTI.

5:17 PM

Three contentious farm laws will affect MSP, weaken mandi system: Sharad Pawar

Raising concerns over the three new farm laws, NCP President Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the legislation will adversely affect theMinimum Support Price (MSP) and weaken the mandi system, according to PTI. Pawar said he virtually participated in the all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which issues related to the proposed agenda for the Budget session, farmers' agitation, women's bill and other important issues were discussed. The farmers have been seeking repeal of three farm bills: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

As per PTI, Pawar said the new laws will adversely impact the MSP procurement infrastructure thereby weakening the mandi system. MSP mechanism has to be ensured and strengthened further, he added. "Reform is a continuous process and no one would argue against the reforms in the APMCs or Mandi System, a positive argument on the same does not mean that it is done to weaken or demolish the system," Pawar tweeted. "During my tenure, the draft APMC Rules - 2007 were framed for the setting up of special markets thereby providing alternate platforms for farmers to market their commodities and utmost care was also taken to strengthen the existing Mandi system," he tweeted.

4:11 PM

At all party meet, Opposition takes up issue of farmers agitation with PM, seeks debate

Opposition parties on Saturday demanded an extensive debate on the farmers' agitation as a consequence of farm laws, according to PTI. The demand was made at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi where he assured them that the government was willing to discuss all agriculture-related issues with the opposition and sought their cooperation in running the parliament smoothly.
 

According to PTI, Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandopadhyay, Aam Aadmi Party's Bhagwant Mann, Vinayak Raut from the Shivsena and Balwinder Singh Bhunder from the Shiromani Akali Dal spoke at length on farmers' agitation and sought the government's assurance that it would discuss all contentious issues related to the new laws. They also reportedly asked the government not to see them as enemies.

Azad reportedly said in the meeting that Congress has already warned the government about the agitation and now the government has to deal with the consequences, PTI informed.