LIVE: Govt proposes to hold farm laws for 1.5 yrs, farmers say will revert

Farmers' protest LIVE updates: Govt proposed to keep the three farm laws suspended for a fixed time period of one year or so. Stay tuned for LIVE updates

9:17 PM

Will not participate in meetings of court-appointed committee: Farmers unions to SC

Protesting farmer unions on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that they would not participate in meetings and deliberations to be held by the court-appointed committee to address their grievances and maintained they wanted the new farm laws repealed. The top court told the lawyers appearing for farmers unions that all it wanted is resolution of the impasse and peace, while clarifying committee has not been given adjudicatory powers and it will only submit its report to it.

 

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian was informed by senior advocate Dushyant Dave and advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the farmer unions, who have been made party in the case that they had firm belief that farm laws are against their interest.

 

Bhushan said, We have instructions from our clients to tell that they have taken a stand that they will not participate in the meetings and deliberations to be held by the committee.

 

During the hearing conducted through video conferencing on a plea of Kisan Mahapanchayat' a farmers body from Rajasthan, the bench said, You don't want to appear before the committee is understandable, but casting aspersions on someone because he expressed his view is not done. You don't need to brand anybody like this.

 

8:59 PM

Farmers' tractor rally 'rehearsal' held in Gurugram

The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) in Gurugram conducted a tractor rally 'rehearsal' in Gurugram on Wednesday ahead of Republic Day, in support of the farmers' protests against the three farm laws. SKM president Chaudhary Santokh Singh, farmers and other members of the Morcha participated in the event.

 

Singh said hundreds of tractors and other vehicles which had affixed the national flag on their vehicles started their journey at 12 noon and covered major stretches of the city.

 

"The tractor rally rehearsal started from the Bajghera flyover and later moved towards Palam Vihar Road, Sheetla Mata Road, Atul Kataria Chowk and Maharana Pratap Chowk. The rally covered around 12 kms in the city," Singh said.

 

However, when the tractor rally cavalcade reached the Maharana Pratap Chowk the police personnel stationed at the chowk stopped the tractor rally by erecting barricades at the location as the farmers wanted to go on the Delhi-Jaipur expressway.

8:51 PM

Possibility of finding a resolution on Jan 22: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar

8:31 PM

Don't call committee biased, resolve farm laws deadlock: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday did not leave any stone unturned to persuade the farmer unions, agitating against the three farm laws, to talk to the court-appointed committee to resolve the deadlock.

 

A bench headed by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde and comprising Justices A. S Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian slammed the barrage of criticism unleashed at the committee members for having expressed views on the three farm laws.

 

"You people unthinkingly cast aspersions on people, someone expressed some opinion in the past, and you find them unqualified," the Chief Justice told counsel appearing for Kisan Mahapanchayat, which sought modification of its order January 12, naming the members on the committee.

 

The farmers union sought replacement of the existing members, who are perceived pro-farm laws, with persons, who have independent thoughts and views on the laws.

8:19 PM

Centre said a committee would be formed on MSP and agri laws: All India Kisan Sabha

8:03 PM

Tenth round of talks makes no progress, farmers and govt to meet on Jan 22

A tenth round of talks between farmer unions and three union ministers on Wednesday ended with a solution to the stalemate over new agricultural laws protesters say threaten their livelihoods. The two sides will meet again on January 22.
 

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, held talks with representatives of 40 farmer unions at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi.

 

"The stalemate is continuing over the three laws and I don't think any solution will emerge from today's meeting. Both sides are adamant on their position," said Yudhvir Singh, a leader of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), told PTI during a break in the talks. READ ON...

7:47 PM

RTI reply exposes Centre's 'lies' on farm laws: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh

With an RTI response exposing the Centre's claim on the farm laws having been approved by the high-powered committee on agricultural reforms, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said it was now obvious that the Akalis and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been spreading lies at the behest of the Central government.

 

Media reports citing a reply by the Planning Commission to a Right to Information (RTI) query suggest that the farm Ordinances were promulgated and introduced in Parliament in June 2020 without the report of the chief ministers' committee being ever appraised by the Governing Council of NITI Aayog.

 

This, said the Punjab Chief Minister, was in stark contrast to the claims of the Central government, which both Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AAP had been parroting in an apparent bid to promote the BHP's anti-farmer agenda.

7:07 PM

Constitute committee with farmers and govt: Agriculture Minister to farmer unions

6:27 PM

Govt offers to amend farm laws; Farmer leaders insist on repeal, discussion on MSP

The government on Wednesday offered to amend the three contentious farm laws at their 10th round of talks with protesting unions but farmer leaders stuck to their demand for a complete repeal of the Acts and alleged that the Centre was avoiding discussion on a legal guarantee for MSP.

 

Farmer leaders said there was no breakthrough in the first two sessions as both sides were stuck on their stated positions vis-a-vis the three farm laws and there was little hope of any outcome other than fixing the date for the 11th round. Sources also said the government proposed to keep the three farm laws suspended for a fixed time period of one year or so and form a committee comprising of farmer union leaders and government representatives.

 

The ministers proposed that the laws would remain suspended till the committee gives its report and urged farmer unions to suspend their agitation till that time, sources added. The proposal, however, did not find any support from the farm leaders.

5:53 PM

Akali leader Sirsa urges Govt to mark Gurupurab by repealing contentious farm laws

Akali Dal leader Majinder Sirsa on Wednesday said the government should mark the auspicious occasion of Gurupurab by repealing the three contentious farm laws, against which thousands of farmers are protesting for almost two months on borders of the national capital.

 

Sirsa, who also heads Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC), further said the proposed tractor rally by farmers will take place as per the schedule on January 26 whether the Delhi police allocate a route or not. He was speaking to reporters after delivering langar food for farmer leaders attending their tenth round of talks with the government at Vigyan Bhawan.

 

Sirsa said farmers are peace-loving and patriotic by nature and it is strange that the Centre feels they may disrupt the atmosphere on Republic Day.