Tomar says farmer protest limited to certain area, hopes to break deadlock

Union Agriculture Minister

Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday said the ongoing farmers' protest against the Centre's three new farm laws is limited to a certain area, and expressed hope to break the deadlock over the issue soon.

Talking to reporters in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior city, Tomar also accused the opposition Congress of playing politics over the farmers' agitation.

"The farmers' agitation is limited to a certain area. The government is ready for talks with the protesting farmers, and I hope we will be able to break the deadlock very soon, Tomar said.

Asked about the Congress's demand for a repeal of three new farm laws and other allegations of the opposition, he said the Congress has no right to speak on farmers' issues.

"Why the Congress did not do anything for farmers when it was in power? The Congress's manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections had also promised similar reforms, but it (party) has now taken a turnaround," he said.

The Congress will not be successful in doing politics in the name of farmers, Tomar asserted.

Asked about senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's allegation that Tomar doesn't know anything about farming, the minister said, "Don't take him seriously. Even the Congress doesn't take him seriously."

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi's border points, demanding a rollback of three new farm laws.

The Centre in September last year enacted the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Tomar reached his hometown Gwalior on Sunday morning to take part in a meeting on Gwalior's 'vision document', pertaining to the city's development.