Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: BJP's Birendra Singh extends support to agitation, terms it his 'moral responsibility'

13:02 (IST)

SP, BSP hit out at BJP over farm laws

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party hit out at the BJP on Saturday over the farmers' protest against the agri-marketing laws.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav called the contentious laws a clamp for the farmers.

"The BJP didn't allow the farmers to have the slightest idea of the farm laws before making them. Now, they are pretending to make them understand the benefits of the legislations by holding farmers convention," Yadav said.

"The truth is the farmers will really benefit only after the implementation of the Swaminathan report," Yadav said. "Only then, the farmers'' income will double."

In a tweet on Saturday, BSP president Mayawati said: "The central government should adopt a sympathetic approach, and not be stubborn, while dealing with the protesting farmers and accept their demands.

"The BSP demands that the three new farm laws should be withdrawn," she added.

PTI

12:33 (IST)

BJP leader and ex-Union minister Birender Singh extends support to farmers

Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Birender Singh has extended his support to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three agriculture-marketing laws passed by the Centre.

Singh, whose son Brijendra is a sitting BJP MP, said it was his moral responsibility to stand with the farmers who he said are "worried" as they fear the new legislations will have an "impact" on their economic condition.

"Whatever I have achieved in politics, would not have been possible had I not been the grandson of Sir Chhotu Ram," Singh said on Friday.

"Therefore, it is my moral responsibility to stand with the farmers in their fight today and, therefore, I have decided to support this (farmers') fight," said Singh, a prominent Jat leader in Haryana.

12:28 (IST)

Agri reforms have started benefiting farmers: PM at Assocham convention

As farmer protests against new farm laws entered the 24th day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said reforms brought by his government six months ago have started benefiting farmers.

Speaking at an Assocham convention, Modi highlighted reforms spanning from the manufacturing sector to labour to say India has during the last six years emerged as the world's preferred destination for investment.

"Agriculture reforms initiated six months back have started benefitting farmers," he said without elaborating.

11:50 (IST)

PM urges people to read e-booklet highlighting how agro-reforms help farmers

Amid the deadlock between the Centre and the protesting farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to read and share widely an e-booklet issued by the government highlighting how the recent agro-reforms help farmers.

The government has issued an e-booklet in English and Hindi highlighting the success stories of farmers who have benefited from the reforms enacted in September.

11:26 (IST)

Volunteers launch newsletter for raising farmers' issues

A group of volunteers have launched Trolley Times newsletter at Singhu border where farmers are protesting against the new farm laws. "This is an attempt to write my experience as I participate in this protest," said Surmeet Maavi, the man behind the initiative.

"The newsletter has been started to avoid miscommunication and confusion. For example, there was a confusion regarding the meeting between farmers and the government," added Maavi.

11:16 (IST)

Farmers' steadfast in their demands as Delhi records season's lowest temp yet

Braving the harsh cold of Delhi, thousands of farmers protesting against the three recent agri laws remained steadfast in their demands of repealing the legislations as their agitation entered its fourth week.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the National Capital recorded its coldest day on Saturday with the minimum temperature dropping to 3.9 degrees Celsius at the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides the representative data for the city.

11:11 (IST)

PM lists benefits of three farm laws, says MSP, APMCs will continue

In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the benefits of the new reforms and the pro-farmer actions taken by his government while also accusing the Opposition of misleading the farmers over the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Ariculture Produce Market Committes (APMCs).

Hundreds of farmers are camping at several Delhi border points to press for the repeal of the Centre's new farm laws.

10:48 (IST)

Farm laws not brought in overnight: PM

Explaining the benefits of the new farm laws, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an hour-long address to Madhya Pradesh farmers where he appealed to farmers with folded hands.

In his speech, Modi said the new agricultural laws brought by the Centre have not come overnight, but were long overdue. He insisted that the existing regime of support price for farm produce will continue.

10:32 (IST)

Hopeful of resolving farmers' stir by year-end: Agri minister

The government is hopeful of resolving farmers' agitation against three new farm laws before the new year and is continuing its informal dialogue with various groups to diffuse the crisis, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said amid formal talks remaining deadlocked with protesting unions refusing to accept anything less than the repeal of the Acts.

The minister said the Modi government is committed to address all genuine concerns of the farming community and it is willing to resume formal talks anytime, but asserted that there was no point talking to those "shooting from peasants'' shoulders.

10:08 (IST)

Govt needs to resolve farmers' issue, not Supreme Court: AIKS

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Friday said the issue of the ongoing farmers' protests against three new farm laws needs to be resolved by the government and not the Supreme Court, even as a delegation of peasant leaders consulted senior lawyers to decide the future course of action.

The AIKS, a key member of the "Samyukta Kisan Morcha" that is spearheading the "Dilli Chalo" agitation against the three farm laws, asserted that no farmer organisation approached the court in the first place and asked for its intervention in the matter.

"The issue needs to be resolved by the Centre and not the Supreme Court. The court order has also said the same categorically. We have not approached the court because of this understanding that it is a struggle by the farmers against a government policy and the executive has to resolve the crisis," senior AIKS leader P Krishnaprasad said.

10:04 (IST)

Traffic snarls continues on Jaipur-Delhi highway for 6th day

The traffic on Jaipur-Delhi national highway remained partially affected for the sixth consecutive day on Friday due to the farmers' agitation near the Rajasthan-Haryana border.

Despite intense cold conditions, the farmers have been staying put in Shahjahapr near the border since Sunday, protesting against the three agri laws introduced by the Centre.

Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates: Former Union minister and senior BJP leader Birender Singh has extended his support to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the three agriculture-marketing laws passed by the Centre.

The AIKS, that is spearheading the 'Dilli Chalo' agitation against the three farm laws, asserted that no farmer organisation approached the court in the first place and asked for its intervention in the matter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed farmers in Madhya Pradesh via video conference in a bid to generate positive opinion towards the new agricultural laws, which has seen farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh protesting along Delhi's borders since 26 November.

In his address, the prime minister highlighted the benefits of the new reforms and the pro-farmer actions taken by his government while also accusing the Opposition parties of misleading the famers over the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Ariculture Produce Market Committes (APMCs).

Hundreds of farmers are camping at several Delhi border points to press for the repeal of the Centre's new farm laws.

Here are some main points of the prime minister's speech:

Agri laws long overdue

Political parties, agriculture experts and progressive farmers demanded such agri reforms for long, he said and attacked the Opposition for misleading cultivators on the issue of MSP (minimum support price) and APMCs.

He also urged political parties to "keep all the credit for their old election manifestos" which had reportedly promised agriculture sector reforms and asked them to stop misguiding the farmers over the new farm laws.

"If they want to take credit for these farm laws, they should do so, but they should stop misleading farmers on theissue by spreading lies," he said.

Opposition parites sat over Swaminathan Commission report: Modi

The prime minister also accused the Opposition parties of lying to farmers, and asked why they didn't implement the Swaminathan Commission report.

"Opposition parties, when in power, sat over the Swaminathan committee report for years, but the BJP-ledgovernment implemented its recommendations in the interest of farmers," the prime minister said.

"If we'd to remove MSP, why would we implement Swaminathan Commission report? Our govt is serious about the MSP, that's why we declare it before sowing season every year. This makes it easy for farmers to make calculations," said Narendra Modi on Friday.

अगर हमें MSP हटानी ही होती तो स्वामीनाथन कमेटी की रिपोर्ट ला

from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2WwunSh
FP Staff

Search This Blog

RIVANCH