Amid a deadlock in the government's negotiations with protesting farmer unions, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a clutch of pleas challenging the new farm laws as well as the ones raising issues related to the ongoing agitation at Delhi borders.
The eighth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions on January 7 appeared heading nowhere as the Centre ruled out repealing the contentious laws while the farmer leaders said they are ready to fight till death and their 'ghar waapsi' will happen only after 'law waapsi'.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Sunday demanded from the Union government to withdraw the new farm laws, saying neither farmers nor state governments were consulted over it.
Addressing farmers in Tonk, Pilot said there is not even a single representative of farmers in the Union government and no one is bothered about their plight.
“The economy is collapsing, petrol-diesel prices are skyrocketing, cylinder prices are rising, inflation is rising, unemployment is increasing and in such a situation, the government is hitting the farmers with such a move,” he said, demanding the withdrawal of the laws.
Tensions mounted during a BJP event at the Salasar complex here on Sunday as a group of protesters raised pro-farmer slogans, compelling police to intervene.
A group of people took out a procession and held a protest in front of the complex and demanded unconditional withdrawal of the Centre’s recently enacted three agricultural laws, police said.
They raised anti-government and pro-farmer slogans, police said. (PTI)
Haryana CM ManoharLal Khattar said today that the administration had spoken to protesting farmers and theirpeople yesterday.
"They had agreed to hold a symbolic protest but no agitation. Trusting them, administration had made all preparations. Over 5000 people were present at the event today. But some youth failed to keep their promise," Khattar said. (ANI)
Reliance Retail Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, has inked a deal with farmers from Sindhanur taluk in Karnataka's Raichur district for the purchase of 1,000 quintals of Sona Masoori rice.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that after 2006, farmers have started becoming labourers. "In Bihar, migration has not stopped. This is a major issue."
Yadav had said earlier today thaton Martyrs' Day, all parties of Mahagathbandhan will form a human chain. "It will be done till Panchayat level. The government is trying to make those residing in villages andindulging in farming, unemployed," he said. (ANI)
Farmers were carrying black flags and shouting slogans against the BJP-led government as they attempted to march towards Kaimla village. Police have put up barricades at the entry points of the village to prevent protesting farmers from reaching the programme venue.
(PTI)
Withdrawal of the three new agriculture-related laws is the only way to provide relief to agitating farmers, an Uttar Pradesh Congress leader said on Sunday.
Sunil Rai, the former state secretary of the Congress accused the Narendra Modi-led government of not being bothered about the country’s middle class as it has failed to check rising prices of petrol and diesel.
(PTI)
Ahead of Republic Day, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava on Saturday reviewed security arrangements and took stock of anti-terrorism measures, officials said.
Besides reviewing the crime situation in the national capital, the police chief also reviewed the law and order arrangements at various border points in view of the farmers' agitation, they added.
(PTI)
(ANI)
Chilla & Ghazipur borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida & Ghaziabad to Delhi because of farmer protests. Please take an alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Bhopra & Loni borders: Delhi Traffic Police
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said his government has finalised petitions to challenge the Centre's farm laws and will do so at an opportune time on the advice of legal experts.
The Congress on Saturday asked the Centre why it wants farmer groups opposed to the new agricultural reforms to move the Supreme Court and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should quit if he is not competent enough to repeal them.
Days before the Supreme Court's scheduled hearing on the farmers' issue on January 11, a petitioner has asked the apex court to remove farmers from the Delhi borders immediately, claiming that the protests and the resulting road blockades were causing unnecessary hardship to commuters.
Stepping up pressure on the Modi government on farm laws, Congress will organise protests across the nation on January 15 by laying siege on Raj Bhawans. The party is also planning to stall Parliament proceedings during the Budget Session.
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Saturday said it will pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the farmers' movement against the Centre's new agri laws by collecting soil from across the country, especially from towns and villages of farmers who died, and create a map of India with it in the national capital.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at various border points of Delhi for over a month now, despite the cold weather and heavy rains, to demand the repeal of the three laws.