Tribune News Service
New Delhi / Chandigarh, November 28
Amid intense protests against the recently approved farm bills, Union Interior Minister Amit Shah said his government was willing to hold talks with protesters about their objections to the recently passed farm laws.
Interior Minister Amit Shah called on protesting farmers to clear roads and national highways, and instead offered them a Burari land to hold their protests.
In an appeal he issued through the ANI news agency, he said that Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar had called a meeting on December 3 to discuss his objections to the bill and called on farmers to move their protests to the ground where he said they would have permission to continue. their protests against the agricultural laws of the central government.
“The central government is willing to dialogue with you (farmers),” he said on Saturday. “I ask my fellow farmers who have been holding protests on national and state roads in the cold that the Delhi police will offer them land to hold their protests. Move there. They will give you permission to protest, there you can build a stage to protest, you will have sanitary services, water and security. In addition, the ambulances will be waiting there ”.
“The central government will hold talks with you the day after your move to Burari,” he said.
Shah’s statement came as thousands of farmers continued to hold protests at the Tikri and Singhu interstate borders on Saturday.
Farmers choose Jantar Mantar
However, the Bharatiya Kishan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) rejected the offer, saying that they would go to Jantar Mantar instead.
In a statement issued shortly thereafter, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) said that the interior minister met with BKU (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan with the offer, which the latter rejected.
“Joginder Singh Ugrahan announced that he would start an indefinite protest at Jantar Mantar. He said that the protest will continue until our demands are met, ”the statement said.
“Ugrahan said that the caravan of protesters includes a substantial number of women and youth. He added that despite the ability to strangle the national capital, they plan to start an indefinite protest in Jantar Mantar so that local residences do not suffer inconveniences. He has called on farmers and agricultural workers across India to join the protest, ”he said.
‘Talking is the only way’
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged protesters to heed Shah’s appeal.
A press release from the prime minister’s office said he believed it was “in the best interest of the agricultural community and the nation at large” and that it would pave the way for talks.
“Shah’s offer to advance talks with farmers from December 3, and his statement reflecting the Center’s willingness to listen to farmers was a welcome step,” the prime minister said in the press release.
Since the Home Secretary had made it clear that the Government of India was ‘ready to deliberate on all the problems and demands’ of the farmers, and would hold talks the day after the farmers moved to the designated place in Delhi for their protest, the Kisan leaders must also move forward, ”said the prime minister. “Only by sitting across the table can both parties come to a solution to the problem.”
— With agencies
