Peaceful sit-ins by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, continue at the Singhu and Tikri borders with no untoward incident reported
Farmers eat a meal during their "Delhi Chalo" protest against the new farm laws, at Ghazipur Delhi-UP border, on Tuesday. Pic/PTI
The government on Tuesday expressed confidence that it will reach a solution after discussing issues raised by protesting farmers, as a meeting got underway between union ministers and representatives of over 30 farmer organisations.
For the meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railways and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, also an MP from Punjab. "We are ready for a discussion to resolve their issues. Let's see," Tomar told the media as he arrived for the meeting. He further said the government will arrive at a solution after hearing the representatives of the farmer organisations.
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Hours before the meeting, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Tomar and Goyal, along with BJP chief J P Nadda, had held marathon discussions over the farmers' protest against the Centre's new agriculture reform laws.
Peaceful sit-ins by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, continued at the Singhu and Tikri borders with no untoward incident reported after Friday's violence, while the numbers of protestors swelled at the Ghazipur border on Monday. The opposition parties too stepped up the pressure, asking the Centre to "respect the democratic struggle" of the farmers and repeal the laws. The farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates. The government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.
'Will defend right to peaceful protest'
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that his country will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest, as he reached out to the Indian community and expressed concern over the ongoing farmers protest in India against the new farm laws, the first world leader to voice his views on the issue.
'Conspiracy of grabbing lands of farmers'
Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party president
'We understand the conspiracy of grabbing lands of farmers under the guise of farm laws by giving false promises of doubling income. We are struggling as usual with our farmer brothers, so that the structure protecting MSP, market and agriculture remains intact. BJP is over now!'
Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader
'We all are indebted to the farmers for their hard work. And we can repay their debt by giving them justice and their rights, not by disrespecting them or by hitting them with lathis or tear-gas shells. Wake up, get down from a position of arrogance and think, and give the farmers their rights'
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