LIVE: Govt-farmer unions' meeting inconclusive; next talks on Jan 19

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: The Supreme Court on January 11 had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders

3:27 AM

PM doesn't respect farmers, wants to tire out those protesting against agri laws: Rahul

Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not respect farmers and wants to tire out those protesting against the Centre's new agriculture laws, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday.
 

He also claimed that the talks that are being held with farmer leaders are part of the government's delaying tactics.
 

The farmers will not relent till the laws are repealed, Gandhi said at Jantar Mantar, where he and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined party MPs from Punjab in their demonstration against the new farm laws.
 

Congress MPs from Punjab Ravneet Singh Bittu and Gurjit Singh Aujla, along with party MLAs from the state, were taken into custody by police and removed from Jantar Mantar soon after the Gandhis visited them.
 

The former Congress president's remarks came on a day when the government met the protesting farmer unions for the ninth time to break the over-a-month-long deadlock on the three farm laws. Since the talks remained inconclusive, they will again meet on January 19.
 

"The talks are being held only to delay. Prime Minister Modi thinks he has the power and will tire the farmers out, but he is mistaken," Gandhi told reporters.
 

"Modi does not have the basic respect for farmers. He does not even care if over 100 farmers die. He thinks he has the power and the protesting farmers will tire out after some days, but they will not relent and you will have to run," he said.
 

Gandhi said whether it is the media or the IT, retail or power sectors in the country, four-five big businessmen run everything.
 

3:26 AM

MP Congress protests Centre's farm laws; Kamal Nath, Digvijaya take part

The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Friday protested at nearly 500 places in the state against the Centre's new farm laws, with state unit chief Kamal Nath driving a tractor in his native Chhindwara and senior leader Digvijaya Singh taking part in a rally in Sehore.
 

Nath said a majority of the farmers in MP had not got minimum support price (MSP) for their produce and the implementation of the three new laws would only increase woes in the agricultural sector.
 

Singh, who took part in a tractor rally in Baktara, called them "black laws" and said they were totally against the interests of the farmers.

Former minister PC Sharma led the protest in Bhopal.
 

Protests were also held in Guna, Narsinghpur, Dewas and Rewa among other places, party functionaries said.
 

3:25 AM

Maharashtra Congress to protest against Centre's farm laws on Saturday

The Maharashtra Congress will "gherao" Raj Bhavan in Nagpur on Saturday to demand withdrawal of the Centre's new farm laws and protest against fuel price hikes, state unit chief Balasaheb Thorat said on Friday.
 

He said the party will observe the day as 'Kisan Adhikar Divas' across the state.
 

"@INCMaharashtra workers will 'Gherao' the Raj Bhavan in Nagpur to demand that the draconian farm laws be repealed and also to protest against the frequent fuel price hikes being done by the Modi govt," Thorat tweeted.
 

10:18 PM

Rahul leads Cong protest in support of agitating farmers

Rahul Gandhi led the Congress's protest in the national capital in support of agitating farmers on Friday and said the opposition party will not relent till the three new farm laws are repealed. He was accompanied by AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Delhi Congress leaders at the protest outside the lieutenant governor's residence here as part of the party's countrywide agitation.

Addressing the gathering, Gandhi said the Congress will not step back till the government repeals the three new farm laws. "These laws are not to help farmers, but to finish them. These laws are aimed at helping corporates like Ambani and Adani instead. That is why we are standing in support of the farmers," he said.

"The BJP government will have to take these black laws back. Till the time these laws are repealed, the Congress party will not relent," Gandhi told the protesting Congressmen. "The Narendra Modi government tried to take away the land of farmers earlier, when it brought the Land Acquisition Act, and the Congress had stopped it at that time. Now, the BJP and its two-three friends are once again attacking the farmers and have brought these farm laws," he said.

9:00 PM

There will be consequences on farm protests, Sharad Pawar warns Centre

It was required of any sensible government to understand the sentiments of farmers agitating against the Centre's new laws, but it didn't happen and so there will be consequences of the same, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Friday. Speaking to reporters here, Pawar also said it will be "strange" if governors of states take part in a mass contact campaign for collecting funds for Ram temple construction in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

 

Pawar said he "does not take seriously" the issue of renaming cities like Aurangabad or Osmanabad, but added there was no discord in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress on it. Farmers have been protesting near Delhi border seeking withdrawal of the Centre's three new farm laws.

 

"The farmers are protesting in such cold. Protesters have occupied a 5 kilometre stretch. They are firm on their demands. It was required of any sensible government to understand the sentiments of the farmers. But it didn't happen, so there will be consequences of the same," Pawar said.

8:35 PM

Congress workers protest over farm laws, face water cannon in Chandigarh

8:10 PM

Farm Laws: Delhi Police detains Punjab Congress MPs, MLA from Jantar Mantar

Delhi Police detained Congress MPs from Punjab Ravneet Singh Bittu, Gurjeet Singh Aujla and a Congress MLA who have been protesting against Centre's farm laws at Jantar Mantar on Friday. According to the sources, MPs Ravneet Bittu, Aujla and the MLA were taken to the Mandir Marg police station.

 

Prominent leaders of the Punjab Congress unit have been staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar for nearly a month now, against the Centre's newly enacted farm laws. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came to meet them here earlier today and soon after they left, the Punjab Congress leaders were detained.

 

Meanwhile, as Congress is observing a 'Kisan Adhikar Divas' against the farm laws across the country, party leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra here on Friday gheraoed Raj Niwas, Civil Lines to express solidarity with the farmers.

7:44 PM

Govt-farmers meet: 9th round ends with date for 10th round of talks; Centre asks unions to be flexible

The government on Friday asked protesting farmers to form an informal group to prepare a concrete proposal about their objections and suggestions on the three farm laws for further discussion at their next meeting on January 19 to end the long-running protest at various Delhi borders, but unions stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.

 

As nearly five hours of talks between 41 unions and three central ministers did not reach a decisive stage in the ninth round of talks at Vigyan Bhawan here, the two sides decided to meet again the next Tuesday. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told farmer leaders at the meeting that the government has been flexible in its approach and urged the same from them.

 

Incidentally, the tenth round of talks has been scheduled for a day when a Supreme Court-appointed committee to resolve the impasse is also likely to hold its first meeting. A day before that, the apex court is likely to hear a petition against a tractor rally call given by the protesting farmers for the Republic Day on January 26.

7:11 PM

UP Congress chief, workers 'detained' during protest against farm laws

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu and several Congress workers were allegedly taken into custody while trying to march towards the Raj Bhawan against the Centre's farm laws here on Friday. A senior police officer, however, denied the claim, saying that they were shifted to a place earmarked for the agitation to maintain law and order.

 

The protest march was part of the party's Kisan Adhikar Diwas programme against the laws. Led by Lallu, party workers started their march to gherao the Raj Bhawan when they were taken into custody in the Dalibagh area, a Congress spokesman said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Somen Barma said, "Neither Congress leaders were arrested nor detained. To maintain law and order, they were sent to the Eco Garden, a place earmarked for agitations. Now, their agitation has ended and they have left for their homes.

 

6:37 PM

Today's talks with farmers unions were not decisive: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

6:15 PM

Supreme Court to take up pleas connected to farm laws on Monday

The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Monday the pleas challenging the three farm laws and also the pleas seeking the removal of farmers camping at various Delhi borders. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Vincent Saran will take up the petitions on January 18. On January 12, the top court stayed the implementation of the three farm laws until further orders.

 

The hearing assumes significance after Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann, a key member of the court-appointed expert panel, recused himself.

 

In a statement, Mann said he would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised. He said that in view of the prevailing sentiments and apprehensions amongst the farm unions and the public in general, he is ready to sacrifice any position offered or given so as to not compromise the interests of Punjab and farmers of the country.

5:42 PM

Congress party laughs at statements and actions of Rahul Gandhi: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

5:17 PM

Govt-farmer meeting ends; Next round on Jan 19

Protesting farmer unions stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of three contentious farm laws at their ninth round of talks with three central ministers but while the government asked them to be more flexible in their approach and expressed willingness for necessary amendments, as the two sides decided to meet again on January 19.

 

Farmer leader Joginder Singh Ugrahan said told reporters after the meeting that the unions urged the government to repeal the three laws, but the Centre was unwilling to do so.

 

"We decided to meet again on January 19 at 12 pm," he said.

 

Ugrahan said the union leaders also raised the issue of NIA raids on transporters in Punjab who are supporting farmers' protests and were providing logistic support for the agitation. At the meeting that lasted for nearly five hours, including a lunch break, farmers unions said they are committed to continuing holding direct talks to resolve the over-one-month-long deadlock over three agri laws, even as a committee has been formed by the Supreme Court to resolve the deadlock.

5:06 PM

LIVE: Govt-farmer unions' meeting inconclusive; next talks on Jan 19

5:04 PM

Farmers not happy with SC panel but will continue talks: Bhartiya Kisan Union

Representatives of farmers told the Centre on Friday that the four-member committee formed by the Supreme Court to redress their grievances on new farm laws was "not acceptable" to them though they will continue to hold parleys.

 

"During our meeting with the government representatives, we made it clear that the committee formed by the Supreme Court is not acceptable. The farmers will however continue to hold talks with the Centre and try to find out a solution to their demands through dialogue," Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said after lunch break in the ongoing 9th round of talks with central Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State Som Prakash.

 

Earlier, farmer leaders began another meeting with the three Union Ministers at the Vigyan Bhavan here. In the afternoon, they partook of lunch brought at the venue by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.