15:08 (IST)
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates
BJP chief of Punjab district quits party to join SAD, says report
Vijay Chhabra, the BJP chief of Punjab’s Faridkot district, has quit the party to join its former ally Shiromani Akali Dal because of the farm laws, reports The Indian Express.
“I have quit the party to express my support to farmers and Punjabiyat,” says Chhabra. “Though farm ordinance was tabled in the month of June, and I have left the party after six months of protests by farmers on this issue, earlier I was fighting for farmers while staying within the party.”
15:04 (IST)
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates
New agri laws will leave farmers at mercy of big corporates: TMC
The Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that the new agriculture laws will leave small and marginal farmers at the mercy of big corporates and demanded that the legislation should be immediately repealed.
Prices of vegetables such as potatoes and onions have skyrocketed as these have been taken off the essential commodities list, the party’s Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said, adding that the concept of Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been totally bypassed.
The way the Centre hurriedly passed the farm laws through an ordinance without going for a parliamentary debate clearly shows that the Union government is anti-farmer and anti-people, she told reporters.
“Farmers will now be forced to sell their produce to big corporates at prices dictated by the firms. In case of a crop failure, however, these companies are not bound to buy the produce from the agriculturists,” the MP said.
-PTI
14:59 (IST)
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates
Rahul Gandhi extends special wishes to agitating farmers
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wishes the country on harvest festivals and extends “special prayers and wishes” to farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws. “Harvest season is a time of joy and celebrations,” he tweets. “Happy Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Bhogi and Uttarayan! Special prayers & wishes for our Kisan-Mazdoors [farmers-labourers] who are fighting for their rights against powerful forces.”
Harvest season is a time of joy and celebrations. Happy Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, Bhogi and Uttarayan!
Special prayers & wishes for our Kisan-Mazdoors who are fighting for their rights against powerful forces.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 14, 2021
14:55 (IST)
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates
No clarity on next round of talks, says report
The Narendra Modi government is yet to decide whether to hold its next round of negotiations with farm unions on Friday, reports The Hindu. Eight rounds of talks with the government has so far failed end the impasse.
An official from the agriculture ministry tells the newspaper that no firm decision has been taken on continuing talks. However, farm unions say they have not received any notice of cancellation. “There was nothing in the Supreme Court order that says that this process needs to be stopped for two months until the committee submits its report,” says Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav. “That would be a perverse interpretation of the order.”
14:36 (IST)
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates
Govt trying to end protest by using SC as front: Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena accuses Centre of trying to end farmers’ protest by using Supreme Court as a front, reports PTI. In an article in its mouthpiece Saamana, the party says Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stature will grow if he honours the sentiments of farmers and scrap the new laws.
14:31 (IST)
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates
Bhupinder Singh Mann recuses himself from SC-panel
S Bhupinder Singh Mann, former MP and National President of BKU and Chairman of All India Kisan Coordination Committee has recused himself from the 4 member committee constituted by Supreme Court on Thursday. This development comes a day before the next round of farmer-Centre talks.
S. Bhupinder Singh Mann Ex MP and National President of BKU and Chairman of All India Kisan Coordination Committee has recused himself from the 4 member committee constituted by Hon’ble Supreme Court pic.twitter.com/pHZhKXcVdT
— Bhartiya Kisan Union (@BKU_KisanUnion) January 14, 2021
Farmers’ Protest LATEST Updates: Bhupinder Singh Mann on Thursday recuses self from SC-monitored panel to negotiate on farm reform laws. Mann, who was one of the four members in the Supreme Court-appointed panel, said that he was ready to ‘sacrifice any position offered’ so as to ‘not compromise interests of farmers’.
The government is in favour of continuing talks with protesting farmer groups as it believes a solution can be found only through dialogue, Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala said on Wednesday.
Eight rounds of negotiations so far between the government and a representative-group of thousands of farmers protesting against three farm laws have failed to resolve the crisis.
“Talks must continue. It is only through dialogue, a way forward can be found,” Rupala told PTI.
He was responding to a query whether the government talks with protesting farmers’ leaders on 15 January will be held as scheduled in the wake of the Supreme Court setting up of a committee to resolve the crisis.
On Tuesday, Kailash Choudhary, who is also Minister of State for Agriculture, said the government was willing to go ahead with the meeting and it was for the farmer groups to decide what they want.
Farmers, who have been camping at the Delhi borders, are demanding a repeal of the farm laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support price for crops.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday had stayed the implementation of controversial new farm laws till further orders and decided to set up a 4-member committee to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers’ unions protesting at Delhi borders.