Bharatiya Kisan Union national president Naresh Tikait has termed farm laws a "fire" (aag) which would lead to losses and has urged the Centre to repeal them.
A video of Tikait speaking to reporters in Muzaffarnagar was shared on social media on Sunday.
In the video, he said, "Repeal this bill, this is a fire. This is a fire which will lead to many losses. (iss bill ko dabaa do, yeh aag hai, yeh bahut nuksaan ki aag hai). If the laws are repealed then the government does not stand to lose anything. The bills have put on hold for one-and-half years. Accept your fault, and hold talks."
PTI
The Delhi Police has sent over 50 fresh notices to people, including farmer leaders, in connection with the violence that broke out during the tractor parade on Republic Day, officials said on Sunday.
Despite an increasing number of barricades, thousands of farmers have been converging at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border following a tearful Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait's impassioned appeal to protesters to bolster the stir.
The Haryana government on Sunday further extended the suspension of mobile internet services in 14 districts till 5 pm on February 1 to "prevent any disturbance of peace and public order" amid a protest by farmers against three farm laws.
Fearing protests on the Budget day, police on Sunday stepped up security at the Delhi borders where farmers are sitting on a protest against the three contentious farm laws by deploying more personnel and taking steps to prevent any protester crossing barricades.
Videos of the wrong route of the mob took on Republic Day are being collected. More than 50 notices have been issued. The tractors' registration numbers have been sent to licensing authority to track addresses of owners of tractors. Notices being sent to them as well: Additional CP Crime
The Opposition leaders must be coming out of empathy. There's no point for them to look for votes here. We will talk to the government as we believe that the issue can only be solved with dialogue: Rakesh Tikait Bharatiya Kisan Union leader
More than 50 notices have been issued. The tractors' registration numbers have been sent to licensing authority to track addresses of owners of tractors. Notices being sent to them as well: ACP Crime BK Singh
(ANI)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal greets Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur during the ongoing farmers' protest, in New Delhi. Credit: PTI Photo
AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday said that his party will take legal action against BJP for allegedly sharing a doctored video of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on social media. A BJP spokesperson had tweeted a video claiming that Kejriwal has supported the three contentious farm laws.
The Congress on Sunday slammed the BJP-led Centre over the arrest of a freelance journalist from the Singhu border with party leader Rahul Gandhi saying those who fear truth arrest honest scribes.
Mandeep Punia was arrested from the Singhu border on Sunday for allegedly misbehaving with the police personnel on duty at the farmers' protest site.
The ripples of farmers' protest against the new agri laws on Delhi's borders spread further in western Uttar Pradesh with thousands of people converging for a 'mahapanchayat' on Sunday in Baghpat, the third such congregation in the region in as many days.
The 'sarv khap mahapanchayat' took place at the Tehsil ground here with farmers pouring in from nearby districts as well in tractor-trollies, many of which are decked up with music systems, the tricolor and farmer unions' flags.
Trashing as 'arbitrary, absurd & irrational’ the AAP's demand for deployment of state police to protect agitating farmers from Punjab at Delhi borders, CM Capt Amarinder Singh said Arvind Kejriwal’s party had clearly lost all sense of constitutional & legal propriety: Punjab CMO
AAP had asked Punjab CM to deploy state police for security of farmers protesting on Delhi borders.
Journalist groups on Sunday condemned the registration of sedition cases against senior media personalities in connection with farmers' tractor rally and the detention of a freelance journalists Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh, saying these incidents interfered with their right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
The Opposition has demanded a separate discussion on farmers issue in Rajya Sabha but the government has not agreed to it saying the MPs could raise the issue during the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's speech.
(ANI)
New Laws facilitate promotion of additional choice channel for farmers with choice to sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with hassle free movement in & outside state to realize competitive & better net price for their produce. This doesn’t affect current MSP system, says Tomar.
(ANI)
(ANI)
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the farmers were deeply hurt by the moves made by the BJP to defame them.
With its unbending stance prolonging the fate of the farm laws, with its hauteur riling parts of its own voter base, with its making farmers suffer and brave one of the harshest winters (and the coronavirus) in Delhi, and with its muddled relaying of the route farmers were expected to take into Delhi on Republic Day, to this writer there was no doubt over who was more culpable for the mayhem in the capital. With the Centre, the Delhi Police, too, was made to look inept. The farmers are making arms of the government pay.
(ANI)
It is in the interest of nation to find a speedy solution to the issue. I urge the government to listen to their concerns, both sides should responsibly engage in talks: Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik
(ANI)
Hundreds of farmers, who reached a key protest site on the Delhi-Meerut highway in Ghazipur on the national capital's border with Uttar Pradesh, danced to upbeat tunes overnight as more supporters continued to pour in on Sunday.
Security measures were strengthened with multi-layer barricading and barbed wires coming up on both sides of the highway stretch that has become the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) camping site since November 28 last year in a major farmers' stir over three new farm laws of the Centre.
Alleging that farmers from Punjab are being beaten up by police and assaulted by goons at their protest site on Delhi borders, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh called an all-party meeting on Tuesday to show unity and evolve a consensus on the way forward on the three contentious Central farm laws.
The meeting will be held at 11 am at Punjab Bhawan, according to a government statement issued Sunday.
Farmer leader Naresh Tikait Sunday said that protesting farmers will honour the dignity of prime ministerbut are also committed to protect their own self-respect, a day after Narendra Modi said his government was just a “phone call away” for talks with them.
Tikait said the government should “release our men and prepare an environment conducive for talks”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country was very pained at seeing the dishonour to the Tricolour on Republic Day, referring to the religious flag incident at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade.
In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi also said the government is committed to modernising agriculture and is taking many steps in this regard.
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait on Saturday asked the Centre to explain to farmers why it does not want to repeal the three farm laws, while promising it that they “will not let the government bow its head” before the world.
TIkait appeared to make the conciliatory offer to the government from a position of strength amid swelling support for farmers' stir with hundreds of villagers pouring in at the key protest site, Gazipur’s UP Gate on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border.
Following the Republic Day tractor parade organised by farmers' unions and the chaos that ensued in Delhi, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait was one of the leadersnamed in an FIR filed by the Delhi Police. The charges against him included attempt to murder, rioting and criminal conspiracy.
Two days later, visuals ofTikait breaking down at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghazipur on Thursday prompted hundreds of farmers to continue protests on Friday and Saturday.
The Haryana government on Saturday extended the suspension of mobile internet services in 17 districts till 5 pm of January 31 "to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order" amid a protest by farmers against three farm laws that witnessed violence earlier this week.
According to an official statement issued here on Saturday, the government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Rewari, Sirsa, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal district till 5 pm on January 31.
After briefly appearing to be fizzling out following the Republic Day violence in Delhi, the farmers’ stir against the agriculture laws on Saturday seemed to be reviving with more and more of farmers groups heading to the national capital from various parts of Punjab. Various farmer leaders on Saturday claimed that with more and more farmer groups marching towards Delhi, there would a be a record gathering of peasants and farm labourers on the borders of the national capital by February 2.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said he expects a record gathering by February 2 at the border points of Delhi. Farmers and farm labourers at some places including Sangrur and Mohali in Punjab observed hunger strike in support of farmers' agitation on Saturday.
Eminent novelist and essayist Arundhati Roy on Saturday came out in support of the farmers who are agitating on Delhi borders, and said the new farm laws which they are opposing will help only the corporate sector.
Speaking at Elgar Parishad, a conclave, here, Roy also slammed the BJP governments at the centre and in states over issues such as anti-conversion laws and lockdown.
NCP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the `Mandi' system.
As farmers' agitation on Delhi borders against the contentious laws continues unabated, Pawar said in a series of tweets that the MSP mechanism should be strengthened further.