LIVE: Govt ready for talks again if farmers consider pitch to suspend laws

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Govt and farmer unions met for their 11th round of talks to resolve the nearly-two-month long deadlock

3:36 AM

Protesting farmer leaders allege conspiracy hatched to kill 4 of them, disrupt tractor rally

Protesting farmer leaders on Friday alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched to kill four of them and create disturbance during their proposed tractor rally on January 26.
 

At a late night press conference at the Singhu border, the farmer leaders presented a person who claimed that his accomplices were allegedly asked to pose as policemen and baton charge the crowd during the proposed tractor rally.
 

The farmer leaders claimed that they had caught the man from the protest site at the Singhu border. He was later handed over to the Haryana Police.
 

Farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu alleged that attempts are being made to disrupt the ongoing agitation against the three farm laws.
 

The man, who had his face covered with a scarf, claimed at the press conference that a plan has been hatched to shoot four farmer leaders, who are known faces in the media, at the stage on January 23.
 

"On January 26, there was a plan to create disturbance during the tractor rally by opening fire on Delhi Police personnel, which would prompt them to retaliate on the protesting farmers in a strong manner," the man alleged at the press conference.
 

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at several Delhi border points since November 28, demanding a repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price for their crops.
 

3:36 AM

Don't mistake proposal to suspend farm laws as admission that Acts have lacunae: Tomar

As the government's long-running talks with protesting farmers hit a dead end on Friday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told union leaders that the proposal to suspend three farm laws should not be misunderstood as an admission that the Acts have any lacunae.
 

He said the proposal has been made keeping in mind sensitivity of the matter and because the government is keen to resolve the crisis in the interest of the farming community.
 

Hours after the 11th round of talks ended inconclusively, the agriculture ministry released a video from the meeting showing Tomar urging farmer leaders to think about the interest of farmers.
 

"Agreements and disagreements are natural in a democracy... But there should be an outlook to reach a way out through dialogue," the minister said.
 

He said it was unfortunate that no resolution could be reached yet through talks, but thanked the farmers' union for keeping their protest peaceful.
 

"Normally, when negotiations are on new protest are not announced. You participated in the talks and at the same time also kept on announcing new form of protest and were successful in it. But we never raised this issue.
 

"With a heavy heart, I want to tell you that the viewpoint that was required in the discussion was missing, due to which we couldn't reach a way out," Tomar said in the video.
 

He stressed that the government made the best proposal it had in resolving the standoff.
 

"I urge you reconsider it and if you reach a decision... if you decide and come forward, we will be ready to welcome you," the agriculture minister added.
 

3:35 AM

BJP advocating for 'dalals' in paddy procurement: BJD

The ruling Biju Janata Dal on Friday accused opposition BJP of advocating for middlemen who sustained huge losses due to the "transparent manner" of paddy procurement directly from farmers by the Odisha government.
 

The BJD's statement came in the wake of the BJP leaders launching a mass agitation in western Odisha, alleging gross mismanagement in paddy procurement and farmers being denied the minimum support price (MSP).
 

"When paddy procurement has happened in a such huge scale benefiting farmers, some 'dalals' (middle-men) have caught hold of BJP leaders and they are advocating for these dalals," BJD spokesperson Shreemayee Mishra said.
 

Mishra also said the BJP launches agitations in Odisha in order to divert the attention from the farmers' protests underway in Delhi.
 

She said there has been a record bumper crop in Odisha and lakhs of farmers have benefitted with high levels of paddy procurement. In 2019-20, procurement rose to 70.56 lakh metric tonnes, and MSP transfers to farmers increased to Rs 12,808 crore, she said.
 

"The BJD government stands guarantee that every single bag of paddy of genuine farmers will be procured," she said.
 

Mishra also said a delegation of BJD MPs met Union minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday and resolved issues relating to rice procurement and subsidies.

"What are the BJP MPs doing for the farmers of Odisha? Instead of playing cheap politics, let them fight for the interest of Odisha farmers like BJD MPs are doing in Delhi," she said.
 

11:28 PM

Farmers at Singhu border present a person who alleges a plot to shoot four farmer leaders

8:31 PM

Govt-farmers talks hit roadblock; Unions adamant on repeal of laws, Centre says external forces at play

The government's negotiations with representatives of thousands of protesting farmers hit a roadblock on Friday as the unions squarely rejected the Centre's proposal to put three contentious laws on hold, while the Agriculture Minister blamed external "forces" for their rigid stand and said no resolution is possible when the sanctity of agitation is lost.

 

Unlike the last 10 rounds of talks, the 11th round saw both the sides hardening their positions and could not even reach a decision on the next date for the meeting. The government asked unions to revert by Saturday in case they agree to the suspension proposal and the talks can continue only thereafter.

 

This followed a big climbdown made by the Centre in the last round of talks on Wednesday when it offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi borders.

 

Farmer leaders, however, said they would settle for nothing less than a complete repeal of the laws, enacted in September last year, which they find pro-corporate, and a legal guarantee for the procurement of crops at government-fixed MSP (minimum support price).

8:08 PM

Punjab, Haryana farmers to set out for tractor parade in Delhi on Saturday

After holding rehearsals and preparations for the past few days, several batches of farmers from Punjab and Haryana will set out on Saturday to participate in proposed tractor parade on January 26 in Delhi. Farmers unions protesting the Centre's three farm laws had said they would go ahead with their tractor parade in Delhi on the Republic Day. They had announced to take out the tractor parade on the Outer Ring Road in Delhi.

 

We all are geared up for participation in a tractor parade. Our first batch will move from Khanauri (in Sangrur) and another from from Dabwali (in Sirsa district), Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said on Friday.

 

Considering the kind of enthusiasm among people, over 30,000 tractors owing allegiance to our union will be part of the parade, he said. Tractors will carry flags of the union and posters with slogans of Kisan Ekta Zindabad, No Farmer No Food and Kaale Kannon Radd Karo, said Kokrikalan.

7:02 PM

Farmers' tractor rally to go ahead as planned on Republic Day: Union leaders

Protesting farmer leaders said on Friday their proposed January 26 tractor rally will take place on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road as decided earlier, after their eleventh round of talks with the government ended in a deadlock. Coming out of the meeting, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said it is for the government to ensure that the rally is peaceful.

 

"Tractor march on January 26 will take place as decided by us on Outer Ring Road. We have informed the police that it is for the government to ensure that it should be peaceful," Rajewal said.

 

The government's negotiations with protesting farm unions hit a roadblock on Friday as protesting unions stuck to their demands for a complete repeal of three farm laws, even after the Centre asked them to reconsider its proposal for putting the Acts on hold for 12-18 months. Unlike the last 10 rounds of talks, the 11th round could not even reach a decision on the next date for the meeting as the government also hardened its position saying it is ready to meet again once the unions agree to discuss the suspension proposal.

6:47 PM

Talks remained inconclusive as farmers' welfare was not at the heart of talks: Agriculture Minister

6:34 PM

We asked farm unions to reconsider our proposal: Agriculture Minister after 11th round of talks

6:33 PM

Govt-farmers talks hit roadblock; Unions threaten to intensify agitation

The government's negotiations with protesting farm unions hit a roadblock on Friday as the farmer leaders stuck to their demands for a complete repeal of three farm laws they find pro-corporate and a legal guarantee for MSP, even as the Centre asked them to reconsider its proposal for putting the Acts on hold for 12-18 months.

 

Unlike the last 10 rounds of talks, the 11th round could not even reach a decision on the next date for the meeting as the government also hardened its position saying it is ready to meet again once the unions agree to discuss the suspension proposal. This followed a big climbdown made by the Centre during the last round when they offered to suspend the laws and form a joint committee to find solutions.

 

Farmer leaders said they will intensify their agitation now and alleged that the government's approach was not right during the meeting.

 

While the meeting lasted for almost five hours, the two sides sat face to face for less than 30 minutes. In the very beginning, the farmer leaders informed the government that they have decided to reject the proposal made by the government in the last round of talks on Wednesday.

5:59 PM

11th round of talks breaks down, deadlock on farm laws continues

The eleventh round of talks between the government and representatives of the farmers Union ended on Friday without any solution in sight as Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar urged the Union leaders to rethink about rejecting the government's proposal to suspend the new farm laws for one and half years.

 

No date for the next round of talks has been decided and the meeting will be held whenever farmer leaders are ready for a dialogue on the proposal given by the government in the 10th round of talks, on January 20. After the meeting, Parminder Singh Palmajra, a Bharatiya Kisan Union leader from Punjab, said the farmers will now further intensify the agitation.

 

The ministers present in the talks -- Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash -- will shortly address the media about the dialogue.

5:37 PM

During meeting, govt offered to put implementation of the farm laws on hold: Bhartiya Kisan Union

5:33 PM

As planned, the tractor rally will take place on January 26: Rakesh Tikait, Bhartiya Kisan Union

5:23 PM

Govt tells unions all possible options given, they must discuss internally proposal of suspending laws

5:22 PM

Agriculture Minister thanks farmer unions for cooperation; says no problems in laws