Nadda, Shah meet BJP leaders of Haryana, Rajasthan, UP amid mahapanchayats

In the wake of mahapanchayats being organised by protesting farmer leaders, BJP president J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday held a meeting with party leaders from Haryana, Rajasthan and western UttarPradesh.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and his cabinet colleague Sanjeev Balyan were also among those who attended the meeting.

Mahapanchayats are being organised in these states by farmer leaders who are protesting against the Centre's new agri laws.

Sources in the BJP said that the meeting is being held by the union minister and Nadda in the wake of mahapanchayats being organised by khap panchayats (caste councils) in Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

BJP leaders, functionaries, MPs, MLAs, mostly from these regions, have been called, they said.

Farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi's borders against the laws since November 28 last year and demanding they be withdrawn.

They are protesting against the the Farmers'' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

The government has held 11 rounds of negotiation with protesting farmers and these have remained inconclusive.