LIVE: Man dies by suicide at Delhi border where farmers are protesting

Farmers' protest LIVE updates Day 21: SC may form a committee having representatives of the government and farmer unions across India. Stay tuned for latest updates on farmers' protest

1:55 AM

Activist offers to mediate between protesting farmers, govt

Noted social activist P V Rajagopal on Wednesday offered to mediate between the agitating farmers and the government on the issue of three new farm laws, and said he would embark on a foot-march from Morena to Delhi on Thursday in support of the cultivators.

 

Thousands of farmers have been camping at several Delhi border points for 21 days on the trot to press for repeal of the Centre's new farm laws.

 

Talking to reporters here, Rajagopal, who is the head of the Ekta Parishad, said, "Although nobody has asked me to mediate on the issue, I am moved by the fact that farmers have been agitating since the last 20 days in the chilling cold, and there is a need to start a dialogue on the matter."

10:16 PM

Congress targets govt over death of Sikh preacher

The Congress on Wednesday targeted the central government after a Sikh preacher, who was supporting the farmers' stir against the farm laws, allegedly committed suicide near the Singhu border.

 

Police had said that they had received a call that Sant Ram Singh (65) had shot himself, and they were trying to verify a handwritten note in Punjabi, purportedly left behind by him, that says he was unable to bear the "pain of farmers".

 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Modi government should quit its "stubbornness" and withdraw the laws.

9:29 PM

Does Rahul Gandhi know anything about farming: MP CM

Does Rahul Gandhi know anything about farming? He doesn't know whether jaggery is made from sugarcane or comes out of machine. People working against nation's interests have entered farmers' agitation, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said at a gathering in Jabalpur.

9:03 PM

Stop holding parallel talks with other farmer bodies: Protesting farmer unions to govt

An umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting against the new agri laws at several Delhi border points on Wednesday asked the Centre to stop holding "parallel talks" with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislations.

 

With the government saying that it is waiting for the reply of peasant leaders, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha said that there was no question of responding as the farmer unions had made their stand clear in the last round of meeting with Union ministers that they want the laws to be repealed.

 

In a letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Morcha said the Centre should also stop "defaming" the ongoing protests being held against the farm laws.

 

The letter by the Morcha, which represents farmer bodies mostly from Punjab, comes against the backdrop of the government holding talks with several farmers' organisations from different states who the Centre claimed have extended their support to the new agriculture laws.

9:02 PM

Protesting farmer shoots himself dead at Singhu border

As the farmers' agitation against the new agricultural laws entered its 21st day, a 65-year-old farmer committed suicide at the Singhu border protest site on Wednesday, IANS reported. The deceased has been identified as Baba Ram Singh of Singhra village in Nissing area of Haryana's Karnal district.

 

The farmer left a suicide note which states that he couldn't see the ordeal of farmers who are sitting on the outskirts of the national capital protesting against the recently-passed farm laws.

9:02 PM

Farmers' interest Modi govt's top priority: BJP chief J P Nadda

Lauding the Union Cabinet's nod for Rs 3,500 crore subsidy for sugar mills, BJP president J P Nadda said on Wednesday that farmers' interest is always the top priority for the Modi government. He also noted that Rs 6,700 crore has been approved for consolidation of electricity infrastructure for socio-economic development in all the six northeast states.

 

The national security directive on the telecommunication sector has also been approved and it will help in keeping India safe and secure, the BJP chief said.

 

The government on Wednesday approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore to sugar mills for the export of 60 lakh tonnes of the sweetener during the ongoing marketing year 2020-21 as part of its efforts to help them clear outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers. Nadda said, "Today's Cabinet announcement of export subsidy on sugar not only solves the problem of excess production but also gives Rs 27,000 crore, approx, to five crore sugarcane farmers and benefits 5 lakh labourers.

8:30 PM

LIVE: Man dies by suicide at Delhi border where farmers are protesting

Baba Ram Singh, a Sikh priest from Haryana, who had joined the farmers' protest, died by suicide Wednesday, media reports. Singh said in a note he was sacrificing his life "to express anger and pain against the government's injustice", NDTV reported. Singh, 65, shot himself, the police said.

8:12 PM

LIVE: Man dies by suicide at Delhi border where farmers are protesting

8:12 PM

Farmers continue to camp at Ghazipur (Delhi-UP border) to protest against farm laws

7:59 PM

Opposition misleading Punjab farmers; will find solution soon: Agriculture Minister

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said farmers in the entire country are supporting the three agri laws but cultivators from Punjab are being "misled" into protest by Opposition, even as he expressed hope to find a solution "soon" to the ongoing impasse. Speaking to reporters here, Tomar said talks were being held with farmer organisations, including those from Punjab, and a "solution will be found soon".

 

"We are talking to farmer organisations and also those from Punjab. We will soon find a solution on the issue. The opposition is trying to mislead farmers, but it will not succeed," Tomar said. He said the new agriculture reforms will change the lives of the farmers.

 

"Majority of farmers in the country are supporting the new farm laws. Many organisations have met me on this issue. Farmers of Punjab are a little angry, but we will find a solution soon," the minister said.