Address a press conference at Singhu border, farmer leader Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu said that thousands of farmers will start their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march from Rajasthan’s Shahjahanpur via the Jaipur-Delhi highway at 11am on Sunday.
Live updates: farmers protest
He said farmers from other parts of the country are also on their way to join the protesters here and will take the unrest to the next level in the coming days.
“If the government wants to hold talks, we are ready, but our main demand will continue to be the elimination of the three laws. We will move on to our other demands only after that, ”said the farmer leader.
Farmers union The leaders will also participate in a hunger strike between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on December 14 against the new laws, he said.
Pannu alleged that the government tried to weaken the unrest, but that protesting farmers did not let it happen. He promised to keep the protest peaceful.
On Friday, the government asked protesting farmers to be vigilant that its platform was not misused, saying some “anti-social” elements as well as “leftists and Maoists” were conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of turmoil that has been going on. for more than two weeks. .
Photographs of some protesters on the Tikri border seen holding placards demanding the release of activists arrested on various charges went viral, prompting farming Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to say that these “antisocial elements” are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the peasant movement under the guise of farmers.
‘We hope that the next round of talks will lead to a conclusive result’
Meanwhile, Haryana’s Chief Deputy Minister Dushyant Chautala said on Saturday that he expects the next round of talks between the Center and the unions to take place in the next 24 to 40 hours.
After meeting with the Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar in the national capital, Chautala said that the acquisition of crops in the MSP decided by the government (minimum support price) would be guaranteed for each farmer until the moment he became part of the state government.
Chautala, who also met with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Food, Railways and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal earlier in the day, also said that Haryana’s government is stable as of now and his party has a strong position. on the subject of the MSP.
Chautala, who has been facing pressure from the opposition and some farmers in Haryana to withdraw from the BJP-led government in the state, had previously said he would resign if the MSP system is threatened. When asked if the alliance government in Haryana was stable, Chautala said on Saturday: “Yes … until we secure the MSP, we will be stable.”
“I am hopeful that in the next 24-40 hours, there will be another round of talks and from that some conclusive statement can come out,” added Party leader Jannayak Janta (JJP).
Enacted in September, the three agricultural laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agricultural sector that will eliminate middlemen and allow farmers to sell their products anywhere in the country.
However, protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way to remove the Minimum Livelihood Price safety cushion and end the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of large corporations.
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