LIVE: Manmohan, Pawar wanted farm reforms during UPA regime, says Tomar

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Security remains tight at the Delhi borders with hundreds of personnel deployed at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri. Stay tuned for latest updates

10:51 PM

Farmers raise slogans against Sukhbir Singh Badal, try to gherao him in Punjab

A group of farmers raised slogans against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal and tried to gherao him when he visited Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib here on Monday. The farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws also waved black flags at Badal. The police, however, secured an alternative route for Badal's motorcade to leave the area.

Badal's SAD had quit the BJP-led ruling alliance at the Centre in protest against the farm laws and has extended support to the agitating farmers. But the farmers alleged that the SAD and its erstwhile ally BJP have cheated the farmers of Punjab. Badal reached the gurdwara to pay obeisance on Monday, a day after a three-day traditional 'Shaheedi Jor Mela' concluded there. He also interacted with mediapersons there. Soon after, a group of farmers reached there and raised slogans against him. They also tried to gherao him, but the police ensured a safe passage for the leader.

10:17 PM

Farmers' protest: Over 1,500 telecom towers damaged in Punjab, services hit

More than 1,500 telecom towers in Punjab have been damaged by farmers protesting against the three farm laws, disrupting services in some pockets, sources said. Power supply to towers that relay telecom signals was snapped and cables cut in several parts of the state as farmers vented their anger on the infrastructure owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani's firm Jio as they saw him along with infrastructure tycoon Gautam Adani as major beneficiaries of the new laws.

 

Neither Ambani's Reliance group nor Adani's companies are into the business of procuring foodgrains from farmers. "Till yesterday, 1,411 towers were damaged and today the count has gone well past 1,500," a source with knowledge of the matter said. In Jalandhar, some bundles of Jio's fibre cable were also burnt. Jio has 9,000 plus towers in the state. Read more
 

8:51 PM

Protesting farmer unions agree to Centre's proposal of holding next round of talks on Dec 30

8:39 PM

Repeated failures of talks with farmers would escalate unrest in rural India: Sitaram Yechury

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the opposition parties might be supporting the farmers but have no direct role in the agitation against new farm laws. "Over 200 farmer unions have come under the banner of Sanyukt Kisam Morcha(SKM) and have been opposing the pro-corporate farm laws for past several months. We are with the SKM but let me clarify, the entire agitation is being piloted by farmer leaders. It would be better if government breaks ice with them(SKM) instead of blaming the opposition for failure of the ongoing talks, " Yechury told IANS while advocating the stand of all opposition parties.

 

8:07 PM

Manmohan, Pawar wanted farm reforms during UPA regime, failed under political pressure: Tomar

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday said former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the then agriculture minister Sharad Pawar wanted to bring farm reforms during the UPA regime, but could not implement them due to "political pressure". Tomar also asserted the Modi government will not take any decisions detrimental to the poor and farmers.

 

The minister was addressing representatives of 11 farmer organisations from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir who had come to extend support for the three farm laws.

 

"Under the leadership of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, whatever positive steps are taken for bringing reforms, some section have opposed them. However, these reforms have been instrumental in changing the picture of the country," an official statement quoted Tomar having said in the meeting with the farm groups.

 

The government is in talks with protesting farmer unions as well and is trying to end the logjam through dialogue, he added. Asserting that the Modi government would never take any decision which will have a negative impact on the poor and farmers in villages, Tomar said, "Some forces are making futile efforts to fulfill their plans/designs using the shoulder of farmers."

7:53 PM

Villagers Punjab vandalise a telecom tower to express support towards farmers protesting against three bills

7:38 PM

Amid chilling temperature, farmer protests bare bodied with tricolour painted on him

Notwithstanding the chilling temperature of the national capital, Vikas Yadav has been protesting the three Central farm laws at the Singhu border bare bodied with the tricolour painted on him. With slogans written on his arms and face, the farmer from Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj region said he hoped this would draw the government's attention towards the agitation.

 

"Nobody is listening to us. We are living on the road, but nobody is paying any attention. Maybe now they will," said Yadav, who arrived at the protest site a week ago. He "protested quietly" for a week and hoped for things to change. But after getting "frustrated" by the "inaction" of the government, he paid Rs 200 to get his body painted. For him, painting his body was a show of "farmers' unity and strength".

 

"The government has been ignoring us. I came here a week back and nothing has changed. They don't care if the farmers are out on the road in this cold. They won't care even if we die.

7:18 PM

Farm laws will be implemented and will succeed in explaining to farmers; Agriculture Minister

7:03 PM

Govt invites farmers for talks on Wed, says it has 'open mind' on demands

The government has called farmers for a meeting on Wednesday in Delhi to discuss three new laws liberalising India's agriculture markets, saying it had an "open mind" about their demands. The agriculture ministry invited more representatives of 40 unions for the meeting at 2pm in Vigyan Bhawan, new agencies reported. It said the government was "committed" to resolving the issues farmers had raised about the laws and minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.

 

Tens of thousands of farmers are camping out on highways near the capital New Delhi in protest at the laws implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government that they fear will dismantle regulated agricultural markets, threaten their livelihood and benefit large companies.

 

"The government is also committed to finding a logical solution on all relevant issues with a clear intention and an open mind," said Taking note of the unions'' offer to resume talks, said Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal in a letter to the unions, according to PTI. READ ON...

6:51 PM

During UPA govt, Manmohan Singh and Sharad Pawar wanted to bring farm laws: Narendra Singh Tomar