Page 3 - Farmer Protests

Panel of 3 union ministers to meet farmer leaders in Chandigarh today

A panel of three Union ministers will hold a meeting with protesting farmer leaders in Chandigarh Thursday for another round of talks amid the ongoing standoff between the agitators and security personnel at the Punjab-Haryana border. Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai will meet the farmer leaders at 5 pm here over their various demands, including a law guaranteeing Minimum Support Price for crops. This will be the third round of talks between the two sides: the previous two rounds of dialogue on February 8 and 12 remained inconclusive. Farmers from Punjab are camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders of Punjab and Haryana seeking to march towards Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands. The farmer leaders have said they will not make any fresh attempt to move towards the national capital till the meeting is held, asserting that the next course of action

Farmers' Protest: Police fire tear gas at protesters, heavy traffic at Delhi-Noida border

Farmer protest: Rahul Gandhi speaks with injured farmer, attacks Modi govt

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has spoken with a farmer injured in police action during the tillers' protest march, and accused the Modi government of having a "dictatorial attitude" towards the country's food providers. Gandhi's telephonic conversation on Tuesday night with the injured farmer, Gurmeet Singh, was facilitated by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Raja Warring who visited a government hospital in Rajpura town of Patiala district after the farmers clashed with Haryana Police. In a post in Hindi on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi said, "Talked on phone to former soldier Gurmeet Singh ji, who was seriously injured in police atrocities during the farmers' movement." "Equired about his health and expressed support to him for their peaceful movement demanding their rights," the former Congress chief said. "He is a youth as well as a farmer - instead of hailing him, this dictatorial attitude of the Modi government towards the country's protector and food provider is putting democra

BJP has always supported farmers, worked for their welfare: Union minister

Amidst ongoing farmer agitation, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni on Wednesday said BJP has always been a party of farmers and has worked for ensuring positive changes in their life. Talking to PTI Videos here, Teni said the BJP government started the crop insurance scheme to compensate the farmers for the loss of crop, and added that it always works to end the problems of the farmers. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are marching towards Delhi to press the Centre to accept several demands, including enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. "BJP has always been a party of farmers and has done big works for them. While Atal Bihari Vajpayee started Kisan Credit Card, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started Kisan Samman Nidhi after taking oath," he said. "With this fund, over 12 crore farmers families got benefited. Our government started soil testing and ensured availability of fertilisers and seeds.

Kisan Morcha condemns police action on farmers; calls for protest on Feb 16

In a statement, the SKM said that it was shocking that drones were used to drop tear gas shells on the farmers by the administration

Police fire tear gas shells as farmers gather at Shambhu border near Ambala

Security personnel fired some tear gas shells on farmers Wednesday morning at the Shambhu border near Ambala as the peasants gathered there to resume their 'Dilli Chalo' protest, the agitators claimed. The protesting farmers from Punjab plan to make a fresh attempt to break past the multiple layers of barricades at the border with Haryana in attempt to march to Delhi to press for various demands. The Haryana security personnel lobbed a few tear gas shells at around 8 am on Wednesday when some farmers gathered near the barricades at the Shambhu border, the protesters claimed. On Tuesday, farmers had clashed with Haryana Police at two border points between the states, facing tear gas and water cannons as they tried to break the barricades blocking their protest march to the national capital. After a face-off with police that lasted several hours on Tuesday, farmer leaders called off the protest for the day. They said they would resume the march from Shambhu on Wednesday. The Samyukt

Centre must fulfill promises made to farmers: Akali leader Daljit Cheema

Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former education minister of Punjab, Daljit Singh Cheema, on Tuesday rendered support to farmers who have embarked on the 'Delhi Chalo' protest

Congress will give legal guarantee of MSP to every farmer: Rahul Gandhi

Farmer protests in Delhi: Rahul Gandhi said that the MSP will be given according to the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission

Farmers' protest: Shambhu border agitation escalates, police lathi-charge

Farmers' protest: Videos emerged on social media, showing protestors throwing barricades down from the flyover at Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border on Tuesday

Delhi march: Farmers attempt to breach barricades, teargas shells fired

The Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border witnessed chaotic scenes on Tuesday as the protesting farmers marching towards Delhi attempted to break police barricades

Farmers' march: Red Fort temporarily closed for visitors, say ASI officials

The historic Red Fort complex has been temporarily closed for visitors due to security reasons, a senior ASI official said Tuesday, amid a massive deployment of police and paramilitary forces in central Delhi in view of the farmers' march. The iconic Mughal-era monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in old Delhi, was "suddenly sealed" late Monday night "due to security reasons", the official said. Heavy security has been deployed there since late last night. "The Red Fort complex has been closed for visitors," the official told PTI. Asked when will the 17th-century monument will reopen, the senior official said, "it will be the call of security agencies". Security in Delhi has been intensified with multi-layer barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and walls of containers at border points to stop a 'Delhi Chalo' march of farmers from entering the national capital on Tuesday, after talks between farm leaders and the Centre remained inconclusive.

Stubborn approach of govt proving to be dangerous: BKU chief Naresh Tikait

Bharatiya Kisan Union president Naresh Tikait on Tuesday wondered whether the farmers will always be in the agitation mode, block roads or head towards Delhi? On the proposed February 16 bandh call given by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and various organisations, Tikait said school vans, vehicles carrying patients and military vehicles will be allowed to go. The problems should be resolved through talks, he added. Asked to elaborate on the demands of the farmers, Tikait told PTI Video in Muzaffarnagar, "The demands are different from different states. Will the farmer always be undertaking agitation, block roads or head towards Delhi? "The government also has some (share) of responsibility. What is the problem in taking cognisance in these matters? And, the 'ziddi ravaiyya' (stubborn approach) is proving to be dangerous. The government should think (on these issues) and hold talks with the farmers," he said and asserted that Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) is always with the farmers. On .

Farmer protest: Need time to find solution, says Union Minister Arjun Munda

Union Minister Arjun Munda, in response to the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march, emphasized the necessity of time and deliberation to address the concerns raised by the farming community

Delhi govt rejects Centre's proposal to convert Bawana stadium into jail

The Delhi government has rejected the Centre's proposal to convert Bawana stadium into a makeshift jail in view of the farmers' march to the national capital on Tuesday, officials said. Delhi Home Minister Kailash Gahlot wrote to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar denying permission and expressed solidarity with the farmers' march, they added. "The demands of the farmers are genuine. Secondly, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to make a peaceful protest. It is therefore, incorrect to arrest the farmers" Gahlot's letter to Kumar read. "The Central Government, infact, should invite them over for talks and try to find a solution of their genuine problems. Farmers of the country are our 'annadata' and treating them in this way by arresting them would be like rubbing salt into their wounds. We cannot be a party to this decision of the Central government," Gahlot added. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha begun marching towards Delhi on Tuesday

Haryana government 'harassing' farmers, says farm leader Sarwan Singh

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Tuesday decried the heavy barricading along the borders of Punjab and Haryana in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march, saying the state borders have been turned into "international borders". He also accused the Manohar Lal Khattar government of harassing farmers in Haryana. "It does not seem Punjab and Haryana are two states. It seems they have become the international border," Pandher told reporters in Fatehgarh Sahib district ahead of the farmers' march to Delhi. The farmers are demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. Pandher said while the media has blamed the farmers for blocking roads, the government itself has blocked roads. "Even today we are not saying that we will block roads. The governme

Congress is equally at fault: Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee

Pandher said that these laws were brought by Congress and the farmers are not in favour of anyone

'Delhi Chalo': People are ready, waiting for direction, says farmer leader

Ahead of the 'Delhi Chalo' protest by farmers on Tuesday, farmer leader Lakhwinder Singh said that the people are ready adding that as soon as they get the direction, they will march forward

Delhi airport issues advisory for passengers, recommends use of metro

The Delhi airport issued an advisory to passengers on Monday in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' march at the borders of Delhi on February 13

Farmers set to march towards Delhi, Punjab-Haryana borders fortified

Farmers will march towards Delhi on Tuesday after a meeting with two Union ministers over their demands, including legal guarantee to MSP for crops, remained inconclusive. Authorities in Haryana have fortified the state's borders with Punjab at many places in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra and Sirsa using concrete blocks, iron nails and barbed wire to scuttle the proposed march. The Haryana government has also imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in as many as 15 districts, prohibiting the assembly of five or more people and banning any kind of demonstration or march with tractor trolleys. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that farmers will head to Delhi on Tuesday to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. The farmers have announced to start the march at 10 am. They plan to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-J

Farmers' discontent threatens election year upsets around the world

Some farmers worry that green policies will curb their yields and therefore their incomes, while the cost-of-living crisis makes it harder to pass on costs to consumers