Farmers' Protest Updates: The farmer protests against farm laws entered its 33rd day today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th "Kisan Rail" from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal today via video-conferencing, his office said.
The multi-commodity train service will carry vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumstick, chilli and onion as well as fruits like grape, orange, pomegranate, banana and custard apple, it added.
Loading and unloading of perishable commodities will be permitted at all stoppages en route with no bar on the size of consignment, the Prime Minister''s Office (PMO) said, adding that the Centre has extended a 50-per cent subsidy on the transportation of fruits and vegetables.
The launch of the train by PM Modi comes amid protests by a section of farmers against three farm laws near Delhi's borders.
Here are the Live Updates on farmer protests:
Farmers raise slogans against Sukhbir Singh Badal, try to gherao him in PunjabA group of farmers raised slogans against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal and tried to gherao him when he visited Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib.
The farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm laws also waved black flags at Mr Badal. The police, however, secured an alternative route for his motorcade to leave the area.
Duty of every person who eats food grown by farmers to support them: Bhupinder Singh HoodaFormer Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda visited the protesting farmers camping near Makrauli Kalan toll plaza to extend his support to their demand of repealing the farm laws and said it is "duty of every person who eats food grown by farmers to support them".
The Leader of Opposition in the state lauded the farmers "for staging a democratic, peaceful and disciplined demonstration" for more than a month on the borders of the national capital. Addressing the farmers, Ms Hooda said the their demands are "completely justified and they are fighting for their rights".
Manmohan Singh, Sharad Pawar wanted farm reforms, failed under political pressure: Agriculture MinisterAgriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the then agriculture minister Sharad Pawar wanted to bring farm reforms during the UPA regime, but could not implement them due to "political pressure".
Mr Tomar also said that the PM Modi-led government will not take any decisions detrimental to the poor and farmers.
The minister was addressing representatives of 11 farmer organisations from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir who had come to extend support for the three farm laws.
Agriculture Secretary writes to farmers' unionsIn a letter to the unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal has invited them for holding talks at 2 pm on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital. The last formal meeting took place on December 5, in which union leaders had demanded a clear "yes or no" answer from the government on their main demand of the repeal of the three laws.
Taking note of the unions' offer to resume talks, Mr Aggarwal said, "The government is also committed to finding a logical solution on all relevant issues with a clear intention and an open mind."
With regard to the proposed agenda by the unions for the meeting, the Secretary said a detailed discussion will take place on three farm laws, MSP procurement system as well as Electricity Amendment bill and ordinance to tackle air pollution in and around Delhi/NCR.
Centre invites farmers for talks on WednesdayThe government has invited farmers for talks on Wednesday at 2 pm at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, saying it is committed to resolve issues with an open mind.
Country that doesn't respect agriculture will fall, says Kamal HaasanBacking the farmers protesting against the Central farm laws outside Delhi, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan said any country that "does not respect agriculture will fall."
Farmers are "annadaata", Mr Haasan, who earlier deputed a party delegation to express solidarity with the agitating farmers near the national capital, said.
"A country that does not respect agriculture will fall. I believe that should not happen to our country. They (farmers) are the annadata (providers of food)," Mr Haasan said.
MP Congress MLAs Stage Silent Protest Against Centre's Farm Laws
Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs led by state unit chief Kamal Nath on Monday staged a silent protest against the Centre's new farm laws in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Assembly premises. The protest began with Nath garlanding the statue of Gandhiji amid MLAs holding placards and toy tractors and shouting slogans denouncing the Centre.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Sewa Dal members today held a demonstration near Haryana Chief Minister's residence to protest against Centre's Farm Laws.
Protesting farmers at Burari say they have renamed Nirankari Samagam ground as 'Kisanpura'
Farmers Camping At Delhi Borders Not For Holiday: Hannan Mollah
Farmers camping at various Delhi borders are not for a "holiday" but to seek answers from the Centre to their grievances, farmer leader Hannan Mollah said on Sunday as he criticised the government for a lack of response to their proposal for talks on December 29. Farmer groups protesting against the Centre's three farm laws have proposed a meeting with the government at 11 am on December 29, but they are yet to receive any response from the government, he claimed. Previously, five rounds of talks between the farmer unions and the government have failed to break the deadlock.
Group Of Volunteers Provide Food To Protesting Farmers At Singhu Border
A group of over 20 volunteers is providing food to the agitating farmers at the Singhu border as they continued their protest at the borders of Delhi against farm laws amid the cold weather conditions. "Around 15 to 20 peoples are indulged in the food-preparing process. Around five to six buckets of vegetables are cooked each time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Around six to seven quintals of wheat are being used for the chapatis," Shiv Singh, volunteer, told ANI.
Anna Hazare Threatens To Launch His "Last Protest" For Farmers
Social activist Anna Hazare has threatened to go on a hunger strike if his demands on issues concerning farmers are not met by the Union government by the end of January next year, and said it would be his "last protest". Speaking to reporters in his Ralegaon Siddhi village
in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra on Sunday, Hazare said had been holding protests for cultivators since the last three years, but the government has done nothing to resolve the issues.
Truckload Of Pineapples Free Of Cost For Agitating Farmers
Expressing solidarity with farmers agitating at the borders of Delhi against the new farm laws, a farmers association in Kerala has sent 16 tonnes of pineapples by truck to the national capital for free distribution. The cost of the fruit, as well as the expenditure on transport, will be borne by the Pineapple Farmers Association, its leader James Thottumaryil said.
Government Is Answerable To Farmers: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
It is a sin to use the kind of words they are using for farmers. Government is answerable to farmers. The government should listen to them and take back the laws: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Kisan Rail important in PM Modi's effort to double farmers' income: Piyush Goyal
Lawyer Allegedly Dies By Suicide At Farmers' Protest, Note Mentions PM
A lawyer from Punjab allegedly died by suicide on Sunday a few kilometres from the site of a farmers' protest on the outskirts of Delhi. Amarjit Singh from Jalalabad in Punjab's Fazilka district was found on the Tikri border after reportedly consuming poison and was taken to a hospital in Rohtak where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the police said.
Read Here Bid To Mislead Farmers Will Not Succeed: Rajnath Singh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said that attempts to "mislead" farmers on the recent agriculture laws will not succeed. Addressing a state-level function to mark the third anniversary of the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, he said the new laws will raise the income of farmers, but the Congress was misleading them. Whenever a reform is effected it takes a few years before it starts showing positive results, Singh said in his virtual address. Be it the 1991 economic reforms brought in by the then finance minister Manmohan Singh or other ones enacted during the Vajpayee government, it took four-five years to see their positive results, he added.
Protesting Farmers Clang Thalis As PM Addresses "Mann Ki Baat"
Farmers protesting against the Centre's new farm sector laws clanged thalis and raised slogans as Prime Minister's monthly radio address Mann ki Baat was broadcast this morning. The protest took place at three spots -- Singhu border, Faridkot in Punjab and Rohtak in BJP-ruled Haryana. The
"thali bajaao (clang plates)" protest during PM Modi's address was announced last Sunday. Making the announcement, Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav had said, "On December 27 when the Prime Minister gives his Mann Ki Baat radio address, farmers will say 'we are tired of listening to your Mann ki Baat, when will you listen to our Mann ki Baat?' So we will bang utensils so that the noise of his Mann ki Baat doesn't reach us," he explained.
Read Here Farm Laws: Rajasthan Congress To Hold Dialogue With farmers
The Congress will hold dialogue with farmers in every Assembly constituency in Rajasthan from December 28 to 30 to make them aware about the Centre's three farm laws which the party said was against the interests of the peasantry. Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said the Rajasthan government is with the agitating farmers and support their demand for repeal of the laws. He said that the Congress will hold dialogue with farmers in every Assembly constituency of the state with an aim to make them aware of the laws and support the ongoing agitation.
"I Appeal With Folded Hands...": Arvind Kejriwal To Centre On Farm Laws
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to the Centre to repeal the new farm laws and said farmers are protesting for their survival. In his second visit to the Singhu border, where thousands of farmers have been protesting against the laws since November last week, Mr Kejriwal said, "I challenge any Union minister to have an open debate with the farmers and it will be clear how harmful these laws are."
Read Here Farmers' Protest Example Of Government's Failure: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP of giving importance to its "capitalist friends" and said the farmers' protest against the new agri laws is an example of the "failure" of the government. The BJP government at the Centre is making offers to farmers for talks, but on the other hand, it is levelling "baseless allegations" on the protesting farmers, he said in a statement issued. The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, however, did not elaborate on the issue of allegations on farmers.
Farmers' Protest Live: PM Modi To Flag Off 100th Kisan Rail Today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th "Kisan Rail" from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal today via video-conferencing, his office said.