Farmers' protest LIVE: Sachin Pilot asks Centre to repeal agri laws

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Centre expressed strong displeasure on the way Twitter acted after an emergency order was issued to remove this hashtag 'farmer genocide'

4:42 PM

HC seeks Delhi govt, police stand on plea for SIT probe into death of farmer on Jan 26 tractor rally

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the AAP government and police on a plea seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the death of a 25-year-old man who died after his tractor overturned during the protesting farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day.

 

Justice Yogesh Khanna issued notice to the Delhi government, Delhi Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and the Chief Medical Officer of District Hospital at Rampur, where the post mortem was carried out.

 

The court sought their stand on the petition moved by the deceased Navreet Singh's grandfather who has claimed that the victim has suffered gunshotinjuries to his head. The court directed the Delhi Police to file a status report with regard to the investigation on or before the next date of hearing on February26.

4:13 PM

Singhu border: Farmers improve facilities, infrastructure to prepare for prolonged protest

With a resolution of the stalemate over the new farm legislation seeming unlikely anytime soon, the agitating farmers at the Singhu border have started strengthening the infrastructure at the protest site to prepare for a long haul. The leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, leading the protest, have reiterated to continue the agitation indefinitely till the Modi government scraps the three contentious farm laws and extends a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

 

"We are strengthening our communication and other infrastructure to continue the agitation for a long period," said Deep Khatri associated with managing logistics at the Singhu Border protest site.

 

To increase security measures and keep miscreants at bay, 100 CCTV cameras with digital video recorders are being installed at the main stage used by the Morcha and also at some identified spots across the protest site's stretch on the GT Karnal Road.

3:52 PM

BJP could not convince Akali Dal on farm laws, how can it expect farmers to accept them: Sachin Pilot

BJP could not convince allies like Akali Dal on farm laws, how can it expect farmers to accept them: Sachin Pilot to PTI. BJP prone to making 'U-turns'; Cong stand on farm laws consistent, never backed anything contrary to farmers' interests: Sachin Pilot.

3:34 PM

Congress leader Sachin Pilot asks Centre to repeal three farm laws

Urging the Centre not to make the agri laws a "prestige issue", senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday asserted that the government must let go of its "stubbornness" to immediately repeal the legislations, and said that when the BJP could not convince its allies like the Akali Dal and the RLP on the issue, how can it expect the farmers to accept the laws.

 

A day ahead of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's visit to Rajasthan to raise the voice of the farmers against the farm laws, he said that the Centre should withdraw the laws and after thorough consultation with farmers and states, come up with a new set of legislations which the tillers would themselves want and is not something that is forced upon them.

 

In an interview with PTI, Pilot slammed the BJP for stating that the Congress had made a "U-turn" on the farm laws, saying it was the BJP which was prone to making 'U-turns', while his party was consistent on all issues.

3:24 PM

Farmers still agitating because govt has failed to give 'alternative': SKM

Farmers are still agitating because ministers of the Modi government have failed to present any "alternative" to the three new agri laws, the Samuykta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 41 farmer unions, said on Wednesday.

 

The SKM is leading the protest against the three central farm laws at several border points of Delhi.

 

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address in Lok Sabha, SKM leader Darshan Pal said that union leaders have only been raising the "genuine" issues of the farmers. READ MORE...

3:18 PM

SP leader demands repeal of farm laws, guarantee on MSP in Rajya Sabha

SP leader Vishambhar Prasad Nishad on Thursday demanded a repeal of three contentious farm laws and pitched for a new law to make minimum support price (MSP) mandatory for the procurement of agriculture produce. Farmers are protesting against the three new farm laws for more than two months at Delhi's borders, demanding a repeal of these legislations. They are also pressing the government for making MSP mandatory.

 

Participating in a debate on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha, Nishad said, "The farm bills were drafted on the directions of corporates. When the farmers do not want these bills, why are these being imposed on them? I demand that the farm laws should be taken back and a new law to guarantee MSP should be brought."

 

He pointed out that there is no special package in the budget for the farmers of the parched Bundelkhand region. Nishad also drew the attention of the House towards incidents of farmer suicide due to crop loss and debt and demanded that all crops be covered under insurance.