Farmers' protests LIVE: Unions reject Centre's proposal to set up panel

Farmers protest LIVE updates Day 6: Chilla border that links Delhi to UP through Noida has been closed. Stay tuned for latest updates on farmers' protest

7:14 PM

Govt says dialogue to continue with farmers; another round of meeting on Dec 3

7:12 PM

Farmers' protests LIVE: Unions reject Govt offer to set up committee; talks remain inconclusive

The government on Tuesday offered to set up a committee to look into issues raised by farmers protesting against new farm laws, but it was rejected by representatives of 35 agitating organisations during their marathon meeting with three union ministers that ended without any resolution. The meeting remained inconclusive and the government has called for another round of discussions on Thursday, December 3, union leaders said. Government officials said the dialogue would continue and the next round of talks have been scheduled for Thursday.

Farmer representatives were unanimous in seeking repeal of the three laws that they have been terming as being against the interest of the farm community.

 

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

 

The government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture. At the nearly three-hour-long meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railways and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, also an MP from Punjab.

7:04 PM

LIVE: Centre offers to form committee, farmers reject proposal

The government's proposal to form a committee to study the three contentious farms laws was rejected by farmer unions during the ongoing talks called by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday to resolve the issues raised by agitating farmers.

 

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Roop Singh Sanna told IANS that the government proposed to form a committee to study and discuss issues related to the three farm laws enacted in September during Monsoon Session of Parliament.

 

The farmers' leader, while sharing inputs received from its union members attending the farmers-ministers ongoing meeting at Vigyan Bhawan, said the government offered to select four-five members from farmers association to form the committee in which there will be some government members. He said that all the "union leaders unanimously rejected" the government's offer.

6:57 PM

LIVE: We appeal to farmers to suspend protests, says Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

6:45 PM

Meeting between farmers' leaders and Centre concludes; next talks on Dec 3

6:45 PM

Farmers' protest: BJP ally in Haryana suggests giving written assurance on MSP

The BJP's ruling coalition partner in Haryana, the Jannayak Janata Party, on Tuesday suggested that the Centre should give a written assurance to farmers that the minimum support price system will continue. The remark by JJP president Ajay Chautala comes on the day independent MLA Sombir Sangwan withdrew support to the BJP-led government in the state, also expressing support for the farmers against the new farm laws.

 

The farmer unions say the three agri-marketing laws enacted by the BJP-led government at the Centre in September will lead to the dismantling of the MSP system.

 

While the Centre has said the MSP system will continue, many protesting farmers are seeking an assurance in writing, if not a repeal of the new laws. Some are suggesting an amendment to the laws, adding the assurance. Chautala said the assurance on the MSP has been repeatedly made by the Centre, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

6:24 PM

Farmers gather at Delhi-Noida border, key route closed for movement

6:16 PM

LIVE: Govt offers to set up committee to look into farmers' issues

The government on Tuesday offered to set up a committee to look into the issues raised by farmers protesting against new farm laws, as three union ministers and senior officials met representatives of 35 agitating organisations. Farmer representatives were yet to respond to the offer from the government more than two hours into the meeting, but all of them were unanimous in seeking repeal of the three laws that they have been terming as being against the interest of the farm community.

 

The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

 

For the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railways and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, also an MP from Punjab.

 

"We are ready for a discussion to resolve their issues. Let's see," Tomar had told reporters as he arrived for the meeting.

 

He further said the government will arrive at a solution after hearing the representatives of the farmer organisations. Heavy security arrangements were in place around the meeting venue.

5:57 PM

LIVE: Chilla border (Delhi-Noida Link Road) closed in wake of protesting farmers

5:57 PM

Out to support agitating farmers, Shaheen Bagh's Bilkis Dadi turned away from Singhu border

Bilkis Dadi, the octogenarian who was the face of the months-long anti-citizenship law protest in the national capital and featured in the Time magazine, was on Tuesday stopped by Delhi Police personnel at the Singhu Border where thousands of farmers have been demonstrating against the centre's new farm laws, officials said.

 

Bilkis, popularly known as the Shaheen Bagh Dadi, had expressed her willingness to join the farmers' protest at the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu. Soon after she reached the border point to extend her support to the agitating farmers, she was stopped by Delhi Police personnel at the border.

 

"She was stopped at the Singhu Border and was escorted by the police back to her home in southeast Delhi," a senior police officer said.

5:43 PM

Farmers unions, ministers begin talks on agri laws as protests continue

Government ministers and farmers on Tuesday evening began talks in Delhi as protests against new agricultural laws continued outside Delhi, media reports said.

Thirty-five farmers' representatives are meeting Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi, said NDTV.

 

Home Minister Amit Shah met Tomar Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP president JP Nadda, for the second time in 48 hours to discuss the sixth day of protests near Delhi. Tomar on Monday had invited leaders of farmer unions for talks on Tuesday, instead of December 3, citing the COVID-19 pandemic and cold, reported PTI.

 

"In our meeting, we have decided to accept the central government's offer to hold talks at 3 pm today. Representatives of protesting farmers will attend the meeting with Union ministers," farmer leader Baljeet Singh Mahal said. READ ON...

5:26 PM

Govt will reach solution after discussing farmers' issues: Agriculture Minister

The government on Tuesday expressed confidence that it will reach a solution after discussing issues raised by protesting farmers, as a meeting got underway between union ministers and representatives of over 30 farmer organisations. For the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railways and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, also an MP from Punjab.

 

"We are ready for a discussion to resolve their issues. Let's see," Tomar told reporters as he arrived for the meeting.

 

He further said the government will arrive at a solution after hearing the representatives of the farmer organisations.

 

Hours before the meeting. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Tomar and Goyal, along with BJP chief J P Nadda, had held marathon discussions over the farmers' protest against the Centre's new agriculture reform laws. Peaceful sit-ins by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, continued at the Singhu and Tikri borders with no untoward incident reported after Friday's violence, while the numbers of protestors swelled at the Ghazipur border on Monday.

5:24 PM

LIVE: Meeting with farmers' leaders underway at Vigyan Bhawan

5:15 PM

Delhi government notifies one farm law, examining the other two

The Delhi government has notified one of the three central farm laws and is examining the remaining two, officials said on Tuesday.  The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 was notified on November 23, said a senior Delhi government official.

 

"The remaining two laws are under examination by the development department of the Delhi government," he said.

 

The ruling AAP said the notification allows farmers to sell their crop anywhere, including outside mandis. Selling of fruits and vegetables was already de-regulated in Delhi many years ago; now this holds for grains too, it said.

 

The party has openly supported the farmers demands to scrap the laws. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also demanded withdrawing of the laws in a protest by AAP at Jantar Mantar last month. Officials said that vegetables and fruits were deregulated in 2014 enabling trading beyond agricultural produce marketing committee managed mandis. The notified law adds foodgrains and poultry to the list, they said.

5:02 PM

Farmers' protest: Several former sportspersons to return awards

Several former sportspersons including Padma Shri and Arjuna awardees have extended their support to the agitating farmers and said they will return their awards in protest against the "force" used against the peasants en route to Delhi. Among them are Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee wrestler Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardee basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema and Arjuna awardee hockey player Rajbir Kaur.

 

They said they will proceed to Delhi on December 5 and will place their awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. They slammed the Centre and Haryana government for using water cannons and teargas against the protesting farmers to stop them from going to Delhi. "We are the children of farmers and they have been holding peaceful agitation for the last several months. Not even a single incident of violence took place.

 

"But water cannons and teargas shells were used against them when they were going to Delhi. If turbans of our elders and brothers are tossed, then what will we do with our awards and honour? We are in support of our farmers. We do not want such awards and that is why we are returning the same," said Cheema on Tuesday.