LIVE: Govt invites farmer unions for talks, asks them to choose date

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 25: Prime Minister Modi says agricultural reforms are already benefitting farmers as protests continue outside Delhi.

11:41 PM

Govt writes to farmer unions inviting them for next round of talks

The government on Sunday wrote to the protesting farmer unions inviting them for the next round of talks and asked them to choose a convenient date.

 

In a letter to the union leaders, Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal said, "I request those previously invited protesting union leaders to provide details of their remaining concerns and doubts and suggest a date as per convenience for next round of talks."

 

Previous five rounds of formal talks between the government and 40 farmer unions have failed to break the deadlock with the farmers insisting on repeal of the Centre's three laws and camping at various border points of Delhi for over three weeks now.

 

The government intends to convene the next meeting at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi for resolving the issue so that the ongoing protests end at the earliest, Aggarwal said.

9:48 PM

Harish Rawat joins farmers protest at Ghazipur border

Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat joined farmers protesting against the Centre's agricultural reform laws at the Ghazipur border here on Sunday and demanded the government take back the "anti-farmer" legislations.

 

The former Uttarakhand chief minister also paid homage to farmers who have died during the agitation.

 

AICC member Narendra Rathi said Rawat was accompanied by several Congress office-bearers and workers.

 

Farmers from different parts of the country, including Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at different border points of Delhi for four weeks now to demand the repeal of the three farm laws, which were voted through in Parliament in September amid strong protests by opposition parties.

 

"I am the son of a farmer and very well understand the problems of farmers. I demand that the central government withdraw the three anti-farmer agricultural laws," Rawat said.

9:42 PM

Second Covid vaccine authorized in US ships out

Initial shipments of the second Covid-19 vaccine authorized in the US left a distribution center on Sunday, a desperately needed boost as the nation works to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control.

 

The trucks left the factory in the Memphis area with the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the National Institutes of Health. The much-needed shots are expected to be given starting Monday, just three days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized their emergency rollout.

 

Later Sunday, an expert committee will debate who should be next in line for early doses of the Moderna vaccine and a similar one from Pfizer Inc. and Germany's BioNTech.

9:38 PM

Majority of farmers support farm laws; opposition parties fuelling protests: BJP leader

Amid protests by farmers on Delhi borders against the Centre's new farm laws, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said on Sunday that majority of farmers in the country support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the legislations.

 

If a survey is conducted in the country, 99.9 per cent farmers will be found in support of the prime minister, Singh claimed at a 'kisan chaupal' (farmers' meet) at Gharoli village in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar area.

 

The meet was organised by the party's Delhi unit in support of the farm laws.

 

"Opposition parties, including the Congress and the AAP, lose no chance to indulge in conspiracy and instigate people at the slightest opportunity and they are doing the same regarding the farm laws," Singh said.

8:26 PM

Tomar may meet protesting farmers in a day or two, says Amit Shah

Narendra Singh Tomar will likely meet farmer unions agitating at the borders of the national capital for repeal of three farm laws in a day or two, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
 

Several rounds of talks with farmers’ representatives have failed to break the deadlock.

8:26 PM

Tomar may meet protesting farmers in a day or two, says Amit Shah

Narendra Singh Tomar will likely meet farmer unions agitating at the borders of the national capital for repeal of three farm laws in a day or two, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday.
 

Several rounds of talks with farmers’ representatives have failed to break the deadlock.

7:39 PM

Will take over toll plazas, bang utensils during ‘Mann ki Baat’: Farmers

The farmers, who observed “Shradhanjali Divas” on Sunday to pay homage to those who lost their lives in their agitation against the farm laws, warned the government that they will make all the toll plazas free in Haryana between December 25-27 and will undertake a relay hunger strike.
 

They also decided to boycott any NDA constituent which doesn’t back the farmers’ stir.
 

Addressing a joint press conference at the Singhu Border as their protests against the three new farm laws entered the 25th day, the farmers unions said: “On December 27, PM (Narendra) Modi will speak in ‘Mann ki Baat’ but we want to appeal to all of you to bang utensils till the time the PM is speaking.”

7:05 PM

Farmers to observe day-long relay hunger strike on Monday: Yogendra Yadav

Farmers will observe a day-long relay hunger strike on Monday at all sites of protest against the Centre’s new agri laws and halt toll collection on highways in Haryana from December 25 to 27.
 

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the laws for the last over four weeks at various border points of Delhi and demanding that the legislations be repealed.
 

“Farmers will begin a day-long relay hunger strike on Monday at all sites of protest against the new agri laws. It will be started by a team of 11 members at protests sites here,” Swaraj India Chief Yogendra Yadav said at a press conference at the Singhu border.

6:28 PM

Punjab farmer dies by suicide after returning from Delhi protests

A 22-year-old farmer, who returned from the protest near the Delhi border, on Sunday allegedly committed suicide after consuming some poisonous substance in his village in Punjab’s Bathinda district, police said on Sunday.
 

Gurlabh Singh, a resident of Dayalpura Mirza village, had returned to his village late Saturday from the protest site.
 

He was taken to the nearby hospital where he was declared dead. The reason behind the suicide was yet to be ascertained, the police said.

5:52 PM

Farmers observe ‘Shradhanjali Diwas’ to pay tribute to those who died during protest

Farmers protesting at the borders of the national capital on Sunday observed Shradhanjali Diwas to pay tributes to those who lost their lives during the protest against the Centre’s farm laws.
 

Farmer Union leaders have claimed that over 20 of their fellow agitators have lost their lives in the duration of the protest, and continued to demand that the three ‘black laws’ be taken back.
 

A procession was carried out to pay tribute to the deceased farmers. At the Singhu border, a candlelight march has been scheduled in remembrance of the late farmers.

 

5:00 PM

Doctors from Punjab set up 2-day eye-exam camp for farmers at Singhu border

A team of nine doctors from Punjab’s Garhshankar set up a two-day medical camp at the Singhu border here on Sunday to attend to the protesting farmers who are suffering from eye-related problems.
 

On their fourth visit to the protest site, a group of doctors, including ophthalmologists, physiotherapists and general physicians, arrived at the Singhu border on Saturday evening after attending to their duties at their respective workplaces in Garhshankar.
 

Due to the excessive cold, dust and pollution, many protesting farmers, who have been staying put at the Singhu border for nearly a month now, have been complaining of the dry-eye syndrome, watery eyes and other eye-related problems.

5:00 PM

Doctors from Punjab set up 2-day eye-exam camp for farmers at Singhu border

A team of nine doctors from Punjab’s Garhshankar set up a two-day medical camp at the Singhu border here on Sunday to attend to the protesting farmers who are suffering from eye-related problems.
 

On their fourth visit to the protest site, a group of doctors, including ophthalmologists, physiotherapists and general physicians, arrived at the Singhu border on Saturday evening after attending to their duties at their respective workplaces in Garhshankar.
 

Due to the excessive cold, dust and pollution, many protesting farmers, who have been staying put at the Singhu border for nearly a month now, have been complaining of the dry-eye syndrome, watery eyes and other eye-related problems.

4:37 PM

Farmer protests fallout of BJP’s politics of ‘lies and deceit’: UP Congress

The ongoing farmers’ protest against the Centre’s new agri laws is a fallout of BJP’s politics of “lies and deceit”, the Congress said on Sunday.
 

Speaking to reporters, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu also said that the party will continue its fight for farmers until the laws are withdrawn.
 

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the laws for the last over four weeks at various border points of Delhi.

4:16 PM

Farmers' protests more political in nature, says Union Minister VK Singh

Union Minister VK Singh said the on going protests by farmers against the three Central farm laws was "more political" in nature and underlined the NDA government's intent to ensure the welfare of the ryots.

Speaking to reporters here ahead of his interaction with farmers, the Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways claimed that "actual farmers are very happy with what has been done in last six months."

He sought to allay fears on Minimum Support Price (MSP) and other issues, saying MSP will carry on while contract farming will only benefit the farmers.

3:33 PM

Seeing no headway in discussions with government: Farmer unions

As the farmers’ protest entered 25th day on Sunday around 40 farmers’ unions have been demanding a complete repeal of the recently passed three farm laws while several rounds of talks between the government and farmers’ leaders have failed to break the deadlock.

 

The unions have stated that they are not seeing any pragmatic changes from the government’s side.

 

Manjit Singh Rai, President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) at Singhu border told ANI, “The government is delaying our matter unnecessarily. They should have repealed the laws by now and send the farmers back to their homes. Although the government has stated that before the new year begins there would be a solution, however pragmatically speaking, we are not seeing anything hopeful or even close to that.”