LIVE: All-party meet by Punjab CM demands withdrawal of Centre's farm laws

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Protest sites at Delhi's borders -- Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur have turned into fortresses as police beefed up security and strengthened barricades

10:56 PM

MP CM Shivraj Singh warns of FIR, property auction if farmers are not paid

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday told district authorities to lodge criminal cases, and auction property if need be, of those who renege on payment to farmers after procuring produce at support price, according to PTI.

Chairing a meeting on the issue through video- conference on Tuesday, the CM told district collectors to check if such cases are pending in their jurisdiction and to take action in each instance promptly, an official said. Apart from criminal cases being lodged, the CM directed that the property of those responsible for not paying farmers in such a manner be auctioned so that the amount in question can be recovered, the official added.

Chouhan praised districts officials in Gwalior for auctioning the property of a society which had failed to pay farmers after procuring crops, the state public relations department informed.

8:24 PM

Farmer agitation rocks Lok Sabha

The issue of ongoing farmer agitation against three farm laws rocked the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, resulting in repeated disruptions and forcing Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House for the day, according to PTI. When the House reassembled after initial adjournments at 7 pm, Birla asked BJP member Locket Chatterjee to initiate the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the president's address amid sloganeeering by the opposition members.

 

Chatterjee began her speech by praising the government for deciding to celebrate the birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23 as 'Prakram Diwas' every year. The member from the poll-bound state of West Bengal continued her address amid the din.

 

After repeated appeals by the speaker and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi failed to calm the agitated members, Birla adjourned the House for the day. Earlier, the proceedings of the House were adjourned for about an hour till 7 pm after opposition members disrupted the Question Hour to press for repeal of the farm laws.

8:16 PM

Tractors used as weapon against police personnel on Jan 26: Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police

8:01 PM

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut meets Tikait, extends party's support to farmers' stir

7:52 PM

Rakesh Tikait to attend Mahapanchayat in Haryana district tomorrow

7:41 PM

JJP district president Inderjit Singh Goraya quits party over farm laws

Ruling JJP's Karnal district president Inderjit Singh Goraya on Tuesday quit the party in solidarity with farmers protesting against the Centre's agriculture laws. Goraya, a leader of BJP's coalition partner Jannayak Janta Party in Haryana, quit his party post along with the party, saying he had earlier asked Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala to exert pressure on the Centre to roll back these anti-farmers laws.

 

The stir against these farm laws has become a people's movement but the Centre is not accepting the farmers' demand to repeal them, he said.

 

Thousands of farmers are protesting for the past 70 days at various Delhi border points against these laws. I am a farmer first and I decided to resign from my post and quit the party to stand with them, he said. He alleged that instead of accepting farmers' demands the Centre is using tactics to defame the agitation after the January 26 in Delhi".

7:21 PM

All-party meet demands withdrawal of Centre's farm laws

An all-party meeting convened by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday demanded immediate withdrawal of the three farm laws while holding the BJP-led central government responsible for a substantial delay in resolving the crisis, PTI reported.

 

Terming the violence during the tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi as sponsored, the meeting also demanded a judicial probe into the laxity and complicity of those responsible for maintaining peace at the Red Fort. The meeting also decided to send an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raise various issues relating to farmers' agitation.

 

While the BJP boycotted the meeting, the Aam Aadmi Party walked out over their demand for deployment of the Punjab police personnel to protect farmers protesting at Delhi borders. The Congress, SAD, Lok Insaaf Party, SAD (Democratic), BSP, CPI and CPI (M) attended the meeting, a government release said.

6:53 PM

Haryana govt extends suspension of mobile internet services in some districts till 5 pm on Feb 3

Haryana government extends the suspension of mobile internet services, SMS services (only Bulk SMS) and all dongle services on mobile networks except the voice calls in Kaithal, Panipat, Jind, Rohtak, Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat and Jhajjar till 5 pm on February 3: ANI

6:33 PM

No info on losses incurred by farmers for being unable to sell produce in Delhi due to protest: Agri Minister

The Centre has not received any information on losses incurred by farmers for not being able to sell their produce in the national capital owing to the farmers' protest at various border points of the city against new farm laws, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

 

Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, are agitating for over two months now seeking repeal of the three new farm laws enacted by the central government as well as a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

 

"Government of India has not received any information of loss to the farmers due to closed borders barring them to sell their produce to national capital. Hence, the question of compensation for loss of produce does not arise," Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

5:47 PM

Farm protests: Delhi Police cements nails, barricades at Ghazipur border

Security remained tightened at the Ghazipur and Tikri borders of the national capital in view of the ongoing farmers' agitation against the central farm laws. The Delhi Police has cemented nails near barricades at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) and Tikri (Delhi-Haryana) borders.

 

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava had visited the Ghazipur border on Monday to inspect the security arrangements. Also, police have heavily barricaded the Ghazipur border. Barbed wire and cement barricades have been planted on the roads to restrict the movement of the farmers.

 

The farmers' protest at the Ghazipur border entered its 67th day today. They have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: 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. READ MORE...

 

5:01 PM

Farmers' protest: Delhi court grants bail to journalist Mandeep Punia

A Delhi court Tuesday granted bail to freelance journalist Mandeep Punia who was arrested by Delhi Police from farmers' protest site at Singhu border. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Satvir Singh Lamba observed that the complainant, victims and witnesses are police personnel only. Hence, there is no possibility that accused/ applicant can influence any of the police officials, PTI reported.

 

Punia was arrested by police on Sunday in an FIR registered under various sections including 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of IPC.

 

The court directed Punia not to leave the country without its prior permission.

4:31 PM

Rakesh Tikait warns farmers' agitation will not conclude before October

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday warned the farmers' agitation will not conclude unless government repeals the three newly enacted agriculture laws and it may go on till October.

 

"Our slogan is 'Kanoon Wapsi Nahi toh Ghar Wapasi Nahi'. This agitation will not conclude before October, it will not end anytime soon," said Tikait while addressing a rally at Ghazipur border.

 

Reacting to the heavy deployment of security personnel and fencing at the borders of Delhi, he said, "The government's strategy to stop the farmers is going to backfire as it will restrict movements of farm produces to various places and in turn harm common people. I urge all of you to be prepared to carry this movement till October/November. Let the government do as much fencing as they want to do."

 

Tikait said the youth who hoisted the flag at Red Fort was given way by the authorities themselves. "All this was done to malign the image of Punjabi community and paint the image of farmers as anti-national," he added.

3:58 PM

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal's vehicle attacked in Jalalabad today

3:57 PM

Stop farmers in states, provide details about kids, females coming to Delhi: Police to Haryana, Punjab DGsP

Delhi Police after receiving intelligence inputs from agencies has asked Punjab and Haryana's Director Generals of Police (DGsP) to stop farmers at their locations and prevent them from entering Delhi, ANI reported. A letter has been received by DGsP of Haryana and Punjab regarding the same. The Delhi Police has also asked the DGsP to provide details about the number of protesters, women, and children who will be coming to Delhi.

 

In the letter, the Delhi Police has said a group of farmers was routed to Delhi by train and the train was diverted to Rewari, following which 300 protesters deboarded the train and are reaching Delhi through various means of transport.

 

Delhi Police has also requested the DGsP, stating that there is tension at the protesting sites/borders and on Republic Day they entered Delhi and injured police staff and damaged government/private property.

3:25 PM

Opposition parties move adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over farm laws

Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and CPI (M) on Tuesday gave adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the demand on repealing all three farm laws in view of farmers' protest, according to a PTI. Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut has also moved adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha and demanding discussion on Republic Day violence in Delhi during farmers' tractor rally.

 

The Lok Sabha will meet today at 4 pm and the agenda includes the 27 bills passed by the Houses of Parliament during the fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be tabled in the Lower House.