Farmers sit in the back of their tractor wagon as they continue to block a road on the Delhi-Haryana border on the outskirts of New Delhi. (AP Photo / Manish Swarup)
Farmers’ Protest Live Updates: Representatives of farmers protesting at the Delhi borders arrived at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi on Monday for talks with members of the central government for the first time this year, where the latter hopes to prevail over the demand to repeal the new agricultural laws.
This comes after sixth round of discussion on December 30, where both parties reached a consensus on two issues: the increase in electricity rates and penalties for stubble burning. However, the meeting, which lasted more than five hours, failed to get out of the stalemate on the repeal of three agricultural laws and a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP).
Before their talks with the government, peasant leaders reiterated their demands on Sunday. “Our demands remain the same. Agricultural laws must be repealed. The two amendments must be reversed and the government must listen. Our agitation will continue, ”said Jageer Singh Dalewal, a member of the Bharat Kisan Union. They threatened to close shopping malls and gas pumps if Monday’s talks with the Center fail. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture also worked over the weekend to prepare for the next round of talks. One official said the government is “extremely concerned” and wants a “positive result.”
On Sunday, the Haryana police fired tear gas projectiles to prevent a group of farmers, mostly from Rajasthan, from moving towards Delhi. Rajesh Kumar, Bawal Police Deputy Superintendent, said: “The protesters said that those who had gone ahead did not have enough supplies. They asked permission to go to them and ride a langar, and they were allowed to do so. However, when they got there, the whole group tried to break through the barricades and move on. “
Meanwhile, three deaths were reported at the Singhu and Tikri borders, where farmers have been camping for more than a month. Jagbir, 66, from Jind district, and Jashnpreet, 18, from Bathinda, were killed in Tikri, while Shamsher, 44, from Sangrur was found dead inside a truck at the Singhu protest site.
Meanwhile, protesters from various farmers’ unions clashed with Moga police in Sangrur on Sunday afternoon while protesting against the visit of Punjab BJP President Ashwani Sharma on Sunday.
The BJP president had come to attend a meeting of party workers at the residence of the Sangrur district president, Randip Deol. Protesters from the Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) clashed with the police who had erected a double barricade on the Sangrur-Patiala ring road in front of Deol’s house.
SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also faced protests in the Bhadra village of Budhlada constituency in Mansa district on Sunday afternoon. The former Union minister had gone to visit some villages in Mansa to express condolences to the families of farmers who had died on the borders of Delhi. However, after his visit to the home of one Jagseer Singh, he faced protests from villagers carrying BKU Ugrahan and BKU Dakaunda flags, asking him to return.
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