Farmers' protest march LIVE updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here
Industry body PHDCCI on Friday said it apprehends "severe hit" to trade and industry and loss of employment in the northern states from a lingering farmers' agitation which would result in economic losses of over Rs 500 crore daily. "A lingering agitation will cause Rs 500 crores economic loss daily and will have an impact on Q4 Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of northern states majorly Punjab, Haryana and Delhi," said Sanjeev Agrawal, President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The industry body looks forward to an early resolution of the issues from both the government and the farmers, with a common consensus for the welfare of all in the country, he added. Agrawal stated that the farmers' agitation is severely impacting the businesses of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan as raw materials of such units are procured largely from other states to execute production processes and to
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over farmers' protest, alleging that the Center is doing injustice to them. Interacting with media persons in Rohtas, Ramesh said, When the Modi government brought three black laws, the farmers sat on strike for almost a year. After that, the government withdrew the laws and made many promises to the farmers. These promises have not been fulfilled till date. He was referring to three laws that the Modi government had passed in June 2020, stating that those would bring reforms to the farm sector. However, cultivators started protesting against the legislations in November and ended their agitation after Parliament repealed the three laws in the same month next year. Now, when the farmers are coming to Delhi again, the Central government is raining tear gas shells on them and spreading nails on their path. The Modi government is committing huge atrocities on them and doing injusti
The Congress on Friday condemned the police action on farmers protesting at Shambhu border and urged the government to fulfil its promises made to them on providing legal guarantee to minimum support price on crops and other demands. The party also hit out at the Haryana government, alleging it was creating impediments and committing brutality on peaceful farmers wanting to proceed to Delhi to remind the government of its promise. Chairman of the All India Kisan Congress Sukhpal Singh Khaira said at a press conference that the Centre should consider their legitimate demands. He also demanded that the government withdraw all criminal cases against the farmers booked during the last agitation two years ago and adequate compensation be paid to families of all those 700 farmers who lost their lives during the year-long agitation at Delhi's borders. He showed pictures of injured farmers in Shambhu border due to tear gas shells and rubber bullets lobbed at them by Haryana Police, claimin
Haryana Police on Friday fired tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers when they moved towards the barricades at the Shambhu border near Ambala. The fresh confrontation comes on the fourth day of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march to demand a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Protesting farmers from Punjab have stayed put at the Shambhu and Khanauri -- two points on the state's border with Haryana. There were clashes between the farmers and Haryana Police personnel on the first two days of the protest as well. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had given the call for the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the BJP-led central government to accept their demands. The farmers from Punjab began their march to the national capital on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points. Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commissi
The Haryana government on Thursday extended the ban on mobile internet and bulk SMS services in seven districts by two days till February 17 in view of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' agitation. These districts are Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa, the government said in an order. On February 13, the state government had extended the suspension of these services for two days. On Tuesday, farmers from Punjab faced tear gas shells at two border points as protesters tried to break past barricades set up by the Haryana Police to stop them from heading to the national capital. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation to put pressure on the Centre over their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers. In the order, additional chief secretary of Haryana T V S N Prasad said, "After assessment of the current prevailing law & order situation in the state, the
Meanwhile, there was no report of any clash between farmers and the Haryana security personnel at the two Punjab and Haryana border points - Shambhu and Khanauri - on Thursday
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asserted that the protesting farmers are fighting for the country, just like soldiers do on the borders. Gandhi was referring to the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by farmers to put pressure on the Centre for their demands, including a law on minimum support price for crops and loan waivers. The protesting farmers are fighting for our nation, just like the soldiers do on the borders, Gandhi said, addressing a rally in Aurangabad district. The Congress MP also alleged the RSS and BJP have set Manipur on fire and that they pit one community against another. The northeastern state has been rocked by ethnic strife since May last year. Criticising the Narendra Modi-led central government, Gandhi claimed that it waived loans of the super rich worth Rs 14 lakh crore, while the expenditure on MGNREGA is only Rs 70,000 crore. He also took a dig at the Union government for the presence of a large number of celebrities at the consecration ceremony of ...
Delhi's business affected by farmers' movement is witnessing 75 per cent reduction in customers coming from NCR regions, according to a statement by Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI). The CTI said that every day around three lakh people come from NCR for shopping. Due to farmers' movement, less than one lakh people are coming. According to Brijesh Goyal, chairman of CTI and president Subhash Khandelwal, the leading organisation of traders, the number of customers in Delhi markets has declined by 75 per cent, with more than 15,000 commercial vehicles have been stopped from entering the city and more than 25,000 commercial vehicles stuck in Delhi. Around three lakh buyers from NCR cities -- Sonipat, Panipat, Rewari, Bahadurgarh, Narnaul, Gurgaon, Bawal, Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad etc -- visit the markets of Delhi every day, the statement said. On Wednesday, on Basant Panchami, there are about 40,000 marriages scheduled to take place in Delhi but due to the farmers' movement, guest
Farmers' protest march updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here
On the second day of the farmers' Delhi Chalo march, traffic movement remained unrestricted at the city's Ghazipur border with Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday while it was completely closed at the Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana. There is tight security in the national capital because of the farmers' march, with personnel being deployed in large numbers and barricades put up to regulate movement in central Delhi and at the border points with Haryana. The NH-9 and NH-24, which connect Delhi with Ghaziabad and Noida and further with Meerut, witnessed uninterrupted movement of vehicles during the day. According to police, traffic was heavy on both carriageways of the DND Flyway. In a post on X', the Delhi Police said, "Due to the deployment of picket/checking on DND Flyway, traffic is heavy on both the carriageways of the DND Flyway. Commuters from Noida to Delhi and vice-versa are advised to take alternative routes like Chilla Border route." Multiple layers of barricades, concrete
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Wednesday said they are ready for holding talks with the Centre over their demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price. Citing media reports, Dallewal said Union Minister Anurag Thakur has, in his statement, said that the Centre was ready for holding talks and was also ready to resolve the issues of the farmers. "We do not want to give any room to the Centre for saying that it was inviting us, but they did not accept it. That we have accepted and we are ready for talks," he told reporters at the Shambhu border. Dallewal said the farmer leaders have taken the consent of fellow farmers for holding talks. "After taking their consent, we will hold talks," he said. "Our priority is that the talks should take place in Chandigarh," asserted Dallewal, who is the president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur). "If they (the Centre) have given an invitation after seeing all this and said they are ready to resolve their issues then w
Farmers' protest updates: Catch all the latest updates on the farmers' protest here
The petitions came up for hearing before a bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji
The commerce ministry's arm APEDA has facilitated a farmer in Punjab to export 14.3 tonnes of millets and its products worth USD 45,803 to Australia, an official statement said on Tuesday. The shipment includes ready-to-cook millets derived from Kodo millet, Foxtail millet, Little millet, Browntop millet, and Barnyard millet, the commerce ministry said. "A farmer from Sangrur, Mr Dilpreet Singh, has transformed into an exporter, marking his first export consignment of 14.3 metric tonnes of millets, and its products valued at USD 45,803," it said. It also said that India's millet exports have touched USD 45.46 million during April-November this fiscal against USD 75.45 million in 2022-23. "Millets are gaining popularity in the global market. There is a significant increase in the export of cereal preparation, including value-added millet products. APEDA has facilitated around 500 startups in marketing, and exporting millet-based value-added products," it said.
As agitating farmers head to the national capital, villagers residing along the border with Haryana are facing inconvenience, with tight security arrangements and traffic diversions making daily commuting difficult. Many are also worried about possible face-off between protesters and police on the heavily barricaded entry roads. The multi-layer security arrangements to prevent the entry of protesters in Delhi have restricted the movement of locals. "We have nothing to do with any protest, but to reach home after work we are asked to show our ID cards at more than three different places," said Raja Ram, who works as a labourer and is a resident of Tikri Kalan. The Delhi Police has been preparing to stop the farmers from entering the national capital aa a meeting between the agitating groups and Union government in Chandigarh yielded no results. According to officials, more than 5,000 police personnel, including paramilitary forces, have been deployed in border areas -- Tikri, Singh
Agitating farmers and central ministers to meet on Monday for 2nd round of talks