Farmers protests: Protesters at the Tikri border near Delhi against the three agricultural laws
New Delhi:
Peasant leaders have called on the government to meet again on December 29 amid protests over the new farm laws. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) also lost an ally, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, today after its boss Hanuman Beniwal joined the farmers in their protest. At a press conference today, farmer leaders said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment at an event yesterday that only farmers in Haryana and Punjab are against the new laws was “disinformation.” By transferring funds to farmers under a central scheme, Prime Minister Modi said that a large number of farmers want agricultural reforms and cut out the middlemen. Thousands of farmers have entrenched themselves along the Delhi-Haryana border as they await the next round of talks. The Delhi Police Commissioner today visited one of the protest sites on the Singhu border.
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Hanuman Beniwal said today that the party was resigning from the BJP-led NDA to protest the three agricultural laws. “We will not support anyone who is against farmers,” said Beniwal, a deputy from Rajasthan’s Lok Sabha of Nagaur, addressing protesters on the Shahjahanpur-Kheda border in the state’s Alwar district after leading a Demonstration against the new laws and promise a march to Delhi.
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“Prime Minister Modi says that only farmers from Haryana and Punjab are protesting, but we have agricultural union leaders from 10 states here with us at the moment. We ask the government to allow a good atmosphere for discussion. The kind of speech you made Prime Minister Modi was not correct to create a good atmosphere for the talks, “a peasant leader told reporters today at the press conference.
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The farmers said the agenda for the December 29 meeting includes their demand to withdraw the three farm laws, amendments to an anti-pollution ordinance for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to exclude farmers from punishment, and changes on the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
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At today’s press conference, farmer leader Darshan Pal said that they will hold a tractor march on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) highway on December 30. “We call on the people of Delhi and other parts of the country to come and celebrate the New Year with protesting farmers.” Pal said.
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In his strongest attack on the opposition since the start of the farmers ‘protests, Prime Minister Modi said yesterday that farmers’ lands will not be taken and that “some people are spreading lies.” So far, five rounds of talks between the government and farmers have failed.
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The farmers’ gathering started a little after 3pm today at the Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana, the epicenter of the unrest. They later proposed in the letter to the government that the talks be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. “You, in your letter, say that the government wants to listen to farmers with respect. If you really want that, stop making misleading comments about our demands and stop using the entire government system to spread negative publicity against protesting farmers.” the letter said. .
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On Sunday, the government had asked protesters to choose the date for the next round of talks. Referring to the letter from the center, Peasant Leader Shiv Kumar Kakka had said: “The new letter is nothing more than propaganda against us … to give the impression that we are not interested in the talks.”
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On Thursday, leaders representing the 40 farmers’ unions said the government “does not take our demands seriously.” “The government should put the repeal of the laws on the agenda for a new dialogue,” Kakka was quoted as saying by the PTI news agency.
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Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday urged farmers to “allow the new laws to apply for a year or so,” adding that the government will be ready to amend them if they are not beneficial to farmers.
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A group of BJP leaders in Punjab’s Phagwara had to sneak out the back door under police protection on Friday after farmers protesting against the central government’s new farm laws picketed a hotel where they were holding an event. . A large number of farmers protesting near Delhi’s borders are from Punjab.
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