Union ministers meet late night as farmers refuse talks offer
A crucial meeting of Union ministers was held late Sunday (November 30) after the farmers protesting outside Delhi against the central farm laws refused the government’s conditional offer for holding discussions prior to December 3.
A crucial meeting of Union ministers was held late Sunday (November 30) after the farmers protesting outside Delhi against the central farm laws refused the government’s conditional offer for holding discussions prior to December 3.
The meeting held at BJP president JP Nadda’s residence in New Delhi saw the participation of Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Sources said the three leaders met at Nadda’s house to discuss the farmers’ issue.
On Saturday, Shah had appealed to the protesting farmers to shift to the Burari ground in north Delhi to stage their protests and said the Centre was ready to hold discussions with them as soon as they move to the designated place.
However, rejecting the Centre’s offer to hold talks once they move to the Burari ground, the farmers who are protesting at Delhi’s borders for four days against the new farm laws on Sunday said they will not accept any conditional talks and threatened to block all five entry points to Delhi – Singhu, Tikri, Ballabgarh, Daruhera and Hapur.
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Meanwhile, Delhi Traffic Police said Tikri and Singhu borders have been closed for traffic movement.
Addressing a press conference at Singhu border Sunday, representatives of farmers’ outfits put forward four demands, saying the government must repeal the three farm laws, guarantee Minimum Support Price, stop the electricity ordinance and do away with the fine on stubble burning.
A meeting of the protesting farmers’ unions with the Centre has already been scheduled on December 3. The Centre has on several occasions has requested farmers to call off their strike and come for discussion, with the Union Minister making such appeals.
Few days back, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said the Centre was ready to hold talks with the farmers anytime, and appealed to them to call off their agitation and come for discussion.
The farmers are protesting against the Centre’s new farm laws and have resorted to a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to have their voices heard. They have expressed apprehension that the three new laws will pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporates.
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