The Center will hold another round of talks with farmers on Thursday, in an attempt to end the protest over farm laws that have seriously affected the movement of traffic in and out of Delhi.
Farmers have been protesting near Delhi for more than a week, blocking roads and clashing with police guarding the borders of the national capital.
Here are updates on the farmers’ protest and what the government is doing:
• The Delhi Traffic Police tweeted on Thursday morning that the Chilla border on the Noida link road is closed to traffic due to protests by farmers near the Gautam Budh gate. He also said that people who want to go to Noida from Delhi should use the NH-24 air route and Delhi-Noida Direct (DND).
• On the Haryana side, the Tikri border, the Jharoda border and the Jhatikra border are closed, according to the Delhi traffic police. “The open borders available for Haryana are as follows: Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan / Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders.”
• Meanwhile, a delegation of farmers will meet with the Union’s agriculture minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, on Thursday. A spokesman for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is leading the protest, said Wednesday that all farmers’ organizations across the country should take to the streets now.
• Several farmers from different parts of the country such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are marching towards Delhi to join the protest against the new agricultural laws.
• Punjab Prime Minister Amarinder Singh will meet with Union Interior Minister Amit Shah at his residence on Thursday, ahead of talks between the Center and farmer leaders. Singh will hold discussions with Shah in an attempt to find an amicable solution to the deadlock.
• Punjab’s chief minister and his congressional party have supported the farmers’ movement and the state Assembly also passed a series of bills aimed at denying the Center’s agricultural legislation.
• However, the Center has argued that the new agricultural laws, passed by Parliament in September, are in the interest of farmers. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the reforms came after a long wait and the government is ready to address their concerns.
• Protesting farmer leaders wrote to Tomar on Wednesday, demanding a special session of Parliament to repeal the new farm laws and calling on the government not to “indulge in a divisive agenda” to break farmers’ unity.
• The government had held talks with representatives of the farmers on Tuesday. But the result remained inconclusive as farmers’ unions rejected the government’s offer to set up a committee and said they will continue their protest.
• Farmers protest against the Agricultural Products Trade and Trade (Promotion and Facilitation) Act of 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Guarantee and Agricultural Services of 2020, and the Essential Products (Amendment) Act of 2020.
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