Cannot ignore issues raised by protesting farmers, says Sharad Pawar

Pawar said the Centre seems to have no sympathy for farmers protesting outside Delhi against new agri laws in extreme weather conditions and favoured talks to resolve the issues raised by them

NCP president Sharad Pawar on

Wednesday said the Centre seems to have no sympathy for farmers protesting outside Delhi against new agri laws in extreme weather conditions and favoured talks to resolve the issues raised by them.

Backing the protest, going on for over a month now, against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year, Pawar said the agitation can not be ignored.

Talking to reporters in Panaji, Pawar pointed out that farmers are protesting outside Delhi in severe cold, but the Centre seems to have no sympathy towards them.

I am supporting the agitation launched by farmers. The central government should have a dialogue with them and resolve the issues raised by them, the former Union agriculture minister said.

"Farmers are sitting in cold temperatures on the streets but I dont see any sympathy for them by Government of India," he said.

The NCP leader said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the farm protest.

"I had written a letter to the Prime Minister saying that farmers have raised certain apprehensions (over the new laws).

"So, please sit with them and resolve their issues, Pawar added.

He said farmers feed the country so their issues have to be heard and resolved.

Pawar sad 65 per cent of the people in the country are dependent on the agriculture sector and this fact cannot be ignored.

The Centre and unions representing protesting farmers on Wednesday held the 10th round of talks where the government proposed to suspend the three contentious farm laws for one- -and-a-half years and set up a joint committee to discuss the Acts to end the stalemate.

Farmer leaders did not immediately accept the proposal and said they will revert after internal consultations. The next meeting has been scheduled for January 22.

Farmers are demanding a repeal of the new laws.