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Farmers' Protest
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said a committee comprising ministers has been formed to hold talks with the farmers agitating here over various demands, including 100 per cent moong procurement at MSP, and expressed confidence of finding a solution. A large number of farmers congregated in state capital Bhopal on Tuesday and launched a protest, which continued overnight. The agitation disrupted traffic on the busy Narmadapuram highway. Raising anti-government slogans, the agitating farmers had reached Budhni in Sehore late Monday evening before arriving in Bhopal on Tuesday. The state government has held the first round of talks with farmers, but the discussions remained inconclusive. Talking to reporters here after a programme, CM Yadav said, "Farmers' Welfare Year is being celebrated throughout Madhya Pradesh. A committee has been formed to communicate with them. Yesterday, we sent our Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana to hold talks with them. Even
Farmer leader from Punjab, Sarwan Singh Pandher, on Tuesday morning slammed the Haryana government for barricading the Shambhu border point to prevent them from heading towards Delhi to participate in the Kisan Mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade deal. Heavy police deployment was made at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana, with barricades erected and cemented blocks placed at the bridge over Ghaggar river. A day-long "Kisan Mahapanchayat" has been planned against the proposed India-US trade deal at Delhi's Kisan Ghat under the banner of "Desh Bachao Morcha". Farmer leaders had earlier said that participants from several places, including Punjab and Haryana, would take part in the Mahapanchayat. Farmers from several places in Punjab have planned to move towards Delhi in buses. Pandher said farmers wanted to proceed peacefully to Delhi, but the Haryana government was stopping them at the Shambhu border. Speaking to reporters in Fatehgarh Sahib, Pandhe
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Friday withdrew from the Supreme Court her plea challenging the high court's refusal to quash a complaint against her for allegedly making defamatory remarks in connection with the 2020-21 farmers' protest. The matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta. After the bench showed its disinclination in entertaining the plea, Ranaut's counsel withdrew it. The actor-turned-politician challenged the defamation complaint which stemmed from her retweet comprising her own comment about a woman protestor during the 2020-21 farmer protests against the now repealed farm laws. Complainant Mahinder Kaur (73), who hails from Bahadurgarh Jandian village in Punjab's Bathinda district in 2021, had filed the complaint in Bathinda in January 2021. Her complaint in a Bathinda court claimed the actor made "false imputations and remarks" against her in a retweet by saying she was the same "dadi" who was part of the Shaheen Bagh .
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has not ended his indefinite fast even though he drank a glass of water after farmers detained last week by the state police were released from different jails, farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said on Saturday. The Punjab government on Friday told the Supreme Court that Dallewal accepted water and broke his fast. Countering the Punjab government's claims, Kohar said on Saturday Dallewal had made it clear he would take water only after all the farmers are released. "And Dallewal drank a glass of water after farmer leaders were released," said Kohar, a close aide of Dallewal. "We want to make it clear that a false impression was being given that Dallewal has ended his indefinite fast. His hunger strike continues." Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the apex court on Friday they dispersed on March 19 the farmers protesting at Khanauri and Shambhu border points with Haryana, and opened the roads and highways that were blocked due to th
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on an indefinite hunger strike in support of various demands, accepted water and broke his fast on Friday morning, the Punjab government told the Supreme Court. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was told by advocate general Gurminder Singh for Punjab that they have dispersed the protesting farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu borders, and opened all blocked roads and highways. The bench lauded the efforts of Dallewal, and said he is a genuine farmer leader without any political agenda. "We know some people did not want settlement of grievances of farmers. We are not sitting in an ivory tower. We know everything," the bench said as it asked the Punjab and Haryana government to file a status report about the prevailing situation on the ground. The top court also asked the high powered committee headed by former high court judge to look into the grievances of farmers, to also file a supplementary status report. It also dropped
Several farmer leaders including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal were detained in Mohali while returning from a meeting with a central delegation, as Punjab Police also began evicting protesting farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri border points which have been closed for more than a year. Farmer leader Guramneet Singh Mangat said the farmer leaders were detained in Mohali while they were headed to the Shambhu protest site after the meeting with the delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema justified the eviction of farmers from the protest sites, saying industries and businesses have has been hit hard due to the prolonged closure of two highways -- "the lifelines of the state". "The AAP is committed to youths and generating employment. They will get jobs if the trade and industry functions smoothly," he said. There were signs from early in the day of impending police action at the two protest sites as
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Thursday announced that it will hold 'dharnas' outside the residences of AAP MLAs on March 10 in protest against the Punjab Police's action against farmers. A decision in this regard was taken by an emergency meeting held by the SKM in Ludhiana. The meeting came a day after the Punjab Police thwarted the farmers' attempt to go to Chandigarh on the SKM's call for a week-long dharna beginning Wednesday, as multiple checkpoints were set up across the state and security was stepped up at all entry points of the Union Territory (UT). The SKM, a conglomerate of more than 30 farmer bodies, had given the call for the sit-in at Chandigarh in support of the farmers' various demands, including purchase of six crops at minimum support price (MSP) by the state government. In the meeting held in Ludhiana on Thursday, the SKM leaders strongly condemned the Punjab Police's action against the farmers. Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh
Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders claimed that police conducted "raids" at the residences of many farmer leaders early Tuesday in Punjab and also "detained" them ahead of their call for a protest in Chandigarh on March 5. There was no immediate reaction from the police to the claims. Farmer leaders said the police action came a day after a meeting between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and SKM leaders broke down. Apprehending police action, several farmer leaders have also gone underground. The SKM has called for a week-long sit-in in Chandigarh starting March 5 in support of their various demands. Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal claimed that the Punjab police conducted "raids" at the residences of SKM leaders early morning "With such actions, the government cannot stifle the voice of farmers," Lakhowal said, adding, "We are fighting in support of various farmers' demands." He said police personnel are also deployed at his residence. "It is our
The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing over the farmers' protest observing two rounds of talks took place between the Centre and the agitating farmers, who have raised several demands, including the legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh said a third round of talks was scheduled on March 19. The bench therefore posted the matter, including petitions seeking contempt action against Punjab government officials over providing medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, post March 19. Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh said two ministers of the state had participated in the meeting. The bench appreciated the work of the apex court-appointed high-powered committee for providing a platform to the agitating farmers to raise grievances and took on record its interim report. The bench, which has kept the report with itself for time being, fixed an honorarium for chairman of the committee Justice (retd)
A fresh round of talks between protesting farmers and the Centre will be held here on Saturday evening centred around the legal guarantee of minimum support price on crops, among other demands. The meeting between the central team and farmer leaders will take place at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Public Administration in Chandigarh at 6 pm. In the last meeting held on February 14, Union minister Pralhad Joshi had said that Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would lead the central team for the February 22 meeting with the protesting farmers. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday said a delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will take part in the meeting with a positive mind. Farmers expect from the government to resolve their issues at the earliest, he said. Farmers had earlier asked for the next meeting be held in Delhi but the government scheduled it in Chandigarh. Pandher said, "Today the sixth round of talks with th
Union minister Pralhad Joshi will lead the central team that will hold a meeting with farmers' representatives to discuss their various demands, including a legal guarantee for crop MSP, on Friday, sources said. A 28-member delegation of farmers will participate in the meeting. Joshi -- the Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution -- will lead the central team, the sources said. Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian will also be present, they added. The meeting will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration, Punjab, in Chandigarh. It comes after a year-long protest by farmers over a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, among other demands. A 28-member delegation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, which are spearheading the ongoing stir, will participate in the meeting, according to farmers. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fa
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Thursday said that the Centre should resolve the farmers' issues in the upcoming meeting that comes after a year-long protest over legal guarantee to MSP for crops, among other things. The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab's protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, thus ending a stalemate over the resumption of a dialogue with the agitators, who have been demanding a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops. Pandher spoke to the reporters at the Shambhu border point, where a Kisan Mahapanchayat was held to mark the completion of one year of the ongoing agitation. He said that they will make efforts to move the Centre towards resolving the farmers' issues in the meeting. Farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar said that Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite fast, will make his best efforts to participate in the meeting to put forth farmers' demands. He said that Dallewal will try to participate in the meeting bu