Farmers' Protest LIVE: Ninth round of talks between Govt, unions on Friday

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Protesting farmers burnt copies of the contentious farm laws to mark the festival of Lohri

10:04 PM

Don't believe in rumours being spread to defame stir: BKU leader to farmers

BKU leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Thursday wrote an open letter to farmers, urging them not believe in rumours being spread to defame their agitation against the Centre's farm laws. The BKU (Rajewal) president said rumours are being spread about the farmers' proposed tractor parade on January 26. It is being spread as if farmers will head towards the Red Fort or Parliament on January 26, Rajewal wrote in Punjabi cautioning farmers not to believe in such rumours.

He apprehended that some anti-farmer forces are desperately trying to fail their peaceful agitation. He stressed that the farmers' ongoing protest will remain peaceful. Rajewal said the outline of the 'Kisan parade' will be announced next week. Farmers had proposed to take out a tractor parade on the Republic Day if their demands were not accepted by the Centre.

Rajewal noted that an agitation will only be successful if it is completely peaceful. Rajewal said the ongoing agitation is not limited to farmers only and was receiving support of every section of society as they understand adverse implications of these laws.

8:54 PM

NGO plans to install blood count measurement machine to help farmers protesting at Singhu

Volunteers of an NGO running a medical camp at Delhi's Singhu border plan to install a machine for blood count measurements to help farmers protesting the Centre's three farm laws.

 

Sadiq Mohammad, a pharmacist and a volunteer of the NGO - Life Care Foundation - said there are a number of farmers at the border point having many underlying health conditions and the fast results generated by the Hematology analyzer could help guide the treatment of the farmers quicker.

 

The machine generates results with an hour and that is why the farmers can be given treatment faster, he said. He said the complete blood count (CBC) test helps to ascertain the blood cell, the platelet count and hemoglobin in the blood.

"This test can help us to start treatment related to skin, asthmatic, etc. The result of CBC test comes within an hour. If the result comes on time, then we can start the treatment after the result. This will be free of cost and nothing will be charged from the patients. The machine will be installed in couple of days," Sadiq said.

 

8:11 PM

First meeting of SC-appointed panel on farm laws likely on Jan 19: Member Anil Ghanwat

The Supreme Court-appointed panel on farm laws is likely to hold its first meeting on January 19 at Pusa campus here, one of its members Anil Ghanwat said on Thursday and asserted the committee will have no "ego or prestige issue" if it has to go to farmers' protest sites to talk to them.

 

The panel members were scheduled to have a virtual interaction earlier in the day to discuss its future course of action, but it could not take place after ex-MP and farmer leader Bhupinder Singh Mann recused himself from the committee. The existing members can hold their virtual interaction on Friday now, Ghanwat said, while asserting that he will not leave the committee unless asked by the apex court and he does not expect any other member to recuse.

 

On January 11, the apex court had appointed a four-member committee to look into the new farm laws against which the farmers, especially from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at Delhi borders for over 40 days. The court had directed the committee to hold its first sitting within 10 days and submit a report in two months.

7:51 PM

Maharashtra Congress to 'gherao' Raj Bhavan over fuel prices, farm laws

As petrol prices crossed Rs.91/litres in Mumbai on Thursday, the Maharashtra Congress announced plans to 'gherao' the Nagpur Raj Bhavan on Jan. 16, to highlight the plight of the common people and the agitating farmers, ANI reported.

 

State Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said that the country is reeling under unprecedented hike in the prices of petrol, diesel, while lakhs of farmers are sitting in agitation outside Delhi in a never-witnessed-before opposition to the 3 farm laws.

 

"Since over 45 days, at least 60 farmers have lost their lives, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre remains insensitive to their plight. To awaken this ruthless and arrogant government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we shall 'gherao' the Nagpur Raj Bhavan on Saturday," Thorat told mediapersons.

7:24 PM

Farmer unions want talks with Govt to continue to resolve deadlock: Bharatiya Kisan Union

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait on Thursday said the protesting farmer unions will attend the scheduled ninth round of talks with the government and asserted it is necessary to continue the dialogue to resolve the deadlock and end the agitation.

 

While the previous eight rounds of negotiations have failed to end the protests continuing for several weeks on various borders of the national capital, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said earlier in the day that the government is hopeful of positive discussions at Friday's scheduled meeting. Tikait also said the protesting unions will attend the meeting with union ministers on Friday.

 

Asked if unions have any hope from the Friday meeting, Tikait told PTI: "Let's see what happens tomorrow. But, our meetings will continue with the government till our protest ends as it is necessary."

 

"We will not oppose the meetings with the government," the BKU leader said when asked whether the Friday talks could be the last one if there is no solution. Tomar had said, "The government is ready to hold talks with farmers' leaders with an open mind."

6:47 PM

Farmers' Protest LIVE: Ninth round of talks between Govt, unions on Friday

The government's ninth round of negotiations with protesting farmer unions will take place as scheduled on Friday and the Centre is hopeful of positive discussions, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Thursday. "The government is ready to hold talks with farmers' leaders with an open mind," Tomar told reporters.

 

Clearing the confusion over the fate of the ninth round of talks, which was the only outcome in the last meeting on January 8, in the wake of the Supreme Court on January 11 appointing a four-member panel to resolve the impasse and a key member of the proposed committee subsequently recusing himself, Tomar said the talks between the government and the union representatives will take place as scheduled for 12 pm on January 15.

 

The farmer unions have been maintaining that they were ready to attend the scheduled talks with the government, even as they have said they do not want to appear before the court-appointed panel and have also questioned its composition. READ ON...

6:15 PM

Protesting farmer unions welcome BKU's decision, but say will not accept any committee

Protesting farmer leaders welcomed Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann's decision on Thursday to recuse himself from a Supreme Court-appointed committee, and reiterated that they do not want any panel and will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the three contentious laws. They said the other three members of the committee should follow suit as the agitating unions had never demanded formation of any committee to resolve the impasse between farmers and the Centre over the new agri laws.

 

Some leaders also invited Mann to join the agitation against the legislations. Mann said he is thankful to the apex court for nominating him on the panel but would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised. Farmer unions and opposition parties had raised doubts over the composition of the panel, insisting that its members have been in favour of the three laws in the past.

 

"Mann's decision is a good step as there is no importance of any committee for farmer unions as it has not been our demand. Mann knew that no farmer union would appear before the court-appointed committee that's why he has taken this decision," farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni told PTI.

5:58 PM

Govt ready to hold talks with farmers' leaders, as scheduled on Jan 15, with open mind: Agriculture Minister

5:25 PM

'Truly' independent persons should have been appointed on panel on farm laws: Sharad Pawar

"Truly independent" persons should have been appointed on the committee formed by the Supreme Court to resolve the impasse over new farm laws, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said on Thursday. The apex court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the new farm laws and set up a four-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre and the farmer unions agitating at Delhi borders.

 

Speaking to reporters here, Pawar, a former Union agriculture minister, said the agitating farmers do not have faith in the panel as these members were said to have supported the new farm laws of the Centre in the past.

 

"Hence, the farmers don't think anything will come out of discussions with the committee. And I agree with them. It would have been better if independent -- in a true sense independent -- persons had been appointed," he said.

4:54 PM

Whenever Indian farmers are weak, India is weak: Rahul Gandhi

4:08 PM

Stores closed by farmer protests cost Reliance, Walmart millions in revenue

Dozens of Reliance Industries’ retail stores and a giant Walmart outlet face revenue losses of millions of dollars after being forced to shut for more than three months over protests against India’s new farm laws, sources said.

 

Thousands of farmers from states including northern Punjab have camped for weeks on the outskirts of the capital, in a bid to force Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeal the laws they contend will benefit corporates, rather than cultivators.

 

Fears of farmers’ agitation in Punjab, home to many protest leaders, have stoked companies’ fears over vandalism and the safety of employees, prompting the closure of dozens of shops, store employees and industry sources said. READ ON...

 

3:46 PM

Govt not neglecting farmers, but conspiring to destroy them, says Rahul Gandhi

3:27 PM

Govt conspiring to destroy farmers, alleges Rahul Gandhi on new farm laws

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the Centre over the contentious new farm laws, alleging that the government was "conspiring to destroy" the ryots and assured that his party will stand with them. Speaking to reporters here, the Lok Sabha MP also accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of trying to benefit "two or three of their friends" on the matter.

 

"The government is not just neglecting them (farmers), the government is conspiring to destroy them. There is a difference. Neglecting is ignoring...they are not ignoring them," he said in response to a query. "They are trying to destroy them, because they want to benefit two or three of their friends. They want to give what belongs to the farmer to two or three of their friends," he alleged.

 

Farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the new Central farm laws outside Delhi, demanding for their repeal.

3:09 PM

New agri laws will leave farmers at mercy of big corporates: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that the new agriculture laws will leave small and marginal farmers at the mercy of big corporates and demanded that the legislation should be immediately repealed. Prices of vegetables such as potatoes and onions have skyrocketed as these have been taken off the essential commodities list, the party's Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, adding that the concept of Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been totally bypassed.

 

The way the Centre hurriedly passed the farm laws through an ordinance without going for a parliamentary debate clearly shows that the Union government is anti-farmer and anti-people, she told reporters.

 

"Farmers will now be forced to sell their produce to big corporates at prices dictated by the firms. In case of a crop failure, however, these companies are not bound to buy the produce from the agriculturists," the MP said.

2:59 PM

Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann recuses himself from SC committee on farm laws

Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann, who was one of the four members of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on farm laws, on Thursday said he is recusing himself from the panel.

 

Mann said he is thankful to the apex court for nominating him on the committee but would sacrifice any position offered to him so as not to compromise the interests of farmers.