Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait addressed a farmers' mahapanchayat called by Kandela khap at Haryana's Jind district on Wednesday and asked the people to stand united and support the farmers' cause. Huge numbers of people in tractors, trolleys, and their personal vehicles are reaching the venue with the organisers claiming there would be more than 50,000 in attendance.
The farmers' protest received international support as teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, pop singer Rihana, and US Vice President Kamala Harris' niece come out in support against the Centre's new agriculture laws. Reacting to this, the Ministry of External Affairs Wednesday said it was “unfortunate to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) said that there could be no “formal” talks with the government until the multiple layers of barricading put up at the borders by the Delhi Police and the curtailment of internet services is lifted. Tikait said the police barricading could not stop the farmers and they were ready to continue their protests till October-November.
Angered by Sachin Tendulkar’s tweet on farmers’ protest, scores of Keralaites flooded tennis star Maria Sharapova’s social media pages with messages, apologising for criticising her in 2015 when she had in an interview pleaded ignorance about the cricket icon.
While most messages were apologetic of their previous comments, a few even invited the Russian to come to God’s Own Country to enjoy its scenic splendour and attend the iconic Thrissur Pooram once the coronavirus threat receded. Read more
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Calling the Centre "insensitive" over the handling of farmers' protests, NCP President Sharad Pawar on Thursday said if farmers leave peaceful means of agitation it would lead to a major crisis in the country and the BJP government will be responsible for it. Slamming the government for erecting multi-layered barricades, concertina wires with iron nails studded on roads, Pawar said this did not happen even during the British rule.
Pawar, who was Union Agriculture Minister from 2004-2014, accused the government of not willing to solve the farmers' protest issue. "They don't want to solve the problem. I am worried that today, if the farmers, who are peacefully agitating, take some other path, then this would lead to a major crisis. And the BJP government has to take responsibility for this. There are many issues but today those who are in power are not sensitive," he said. PTI
"Mujhe kya pata, kara hoga. Main kya unhe jaanun!" farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said on Thursday, when asked about the support from several international celebrities to the protests against the new agri laws.
Talking to the media at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, Tikait, said: "Kaun hain ye videshi kalaakar? (Who are these foreign artists)?... Koi videshi agar samarthan kar raha to kya dikkat hai, kuch le-de thodi na raha hai (If some foreigner is supporting the movement, then what is the problem. They are not giving us or taking anything away from us)," he said. PTI
Hitting out at foreign nationals who have extended their support to the ongoing farmers' agitation, Union minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Thursday said that people without full knowledge of the new farm laws have no right to comment on them.
The Minister of State for Finance was responding to statements of some foreign nationals coming in support of the protests by farmers against the new farm laws.
"We had discussions with farmers' organisations. We had 11 rounds of discussions. We are still open to discussions but it cannot be hijacked by international organisations and individuals to harm the interest of India. People who don't have any idea about what these farm laws are and how these are going to benefit the farmers, they have no right to comment without the full knowledge. No one should take political gain out of this," he told PTI in an interview.
The ruling BJP on Thursday dubbed the support of some foreign celebrities to the protesting farmers as an attempt to destabilise the country and said that the Indian democracy doesn't need foreign certificate.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said it is democratic to protest but it is wrong for foreigners to interfere in India's internal affairs. "India's democracy does not need any foreign certificate. If they (international personalities) try to weaken the country, we will not tolerate it. The country is standing united against these foreign powers and has the mettle to not let them succeed in their purpose," he said.
He also asked Opposition parties especially the Congress to introspect and understand that they will only exist if India remains strong.
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said this is not defiance; this is persisting with an agenda of which Thunberg is a part. "They have no stand to interfere on a legislation passed by the Indian Parliament. This is a larger design meant to destabilise India," he said. (PTI)
Going firm on their demand for repeal of the new agri laws, hundreds of farmers spent another night in the cold and withstood an early morning drizzle on Thursday on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border at their heavily-secured protest site at Ghazipur. (Express photos by Amit Mehra)
Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel on Thursday observed a one-day fast here so that "good sense prevails" among the farmers protesting against the Centre's new agriculture laws.
Patel observed the fast on the banks of river Narmada at Handia in Harda district along with a large number of people between 11 am and 5 pm.
Talking to reporters, the minister said, "The three new farm laws are in the interest of farmers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has implemented them with the aim of changing the cultivators' fate as these legislations will double their income by the year 2022."
"Congress and other parties are misleading the farmers as they are not interested in the cultivators' income to be raised," he said. (PTI)
The government should not question the patriotism of farmers as they are the ones who have made the country self-sufficient in food, Congress Rajya Sabha member Deepinder Singh Hooda said on Thursday.
Participating in the debate on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session, he also said that the government should show a big heart and accept the demands of the farmers by repealing the three new farm laws.
Attacking the Centre, Hooda said, "You talk about making (the country) self-sufficient. Let me warn you that a self-obsessed government cannot make an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-sufficient India)."
"The government has no right to question the patriotism of farmers as they have made the country self-sufficient in food and are feeding the 135 crore people of India. They have been doing so since Independence," he said. (PTI)
Going firm on their demand for repeal of the new agri laws, hundreds of farmers spent another night in the cold and withstood an early morning drizzle on Thursday on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border at their heavily-secured protest site at Ghazipur.
Several of the farmers camped in temporary tarpaulin-roofed shelters that have come up on a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut highway, while many had their tractor-trailers double up as their resting place, and scores stretched out on mattresses put on the key road that until November had thousands of vehicles pass through it daily.
Police and paramilitary forces that were deployed in large numbers here in the wake of the January 26 violence remained on the ground, while multi-layered barricades, concertina wires remained in place along with iron nails studded on roads to prevent any movement towards Delhi.
"The way they are taking the nails off, they will repeal the laws also," a man from a group of protestor at the Uttar Pradesh Gate (Ghazipur) told a television news channel. (PTI)
On a day Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi visited Rampur to condole the death of a youth killed during farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi, UP Minister Mohsin Raza accused the party leaders of shedding crocodile tears on farmers' plight.
"The Congress made farmers only debt-ridden in past 60 years. It always does politics taking the support of others," Raza said while addressing a program here at Navoday Vidyalaya. "Priyanka and Rahul too are doing politics," he added.
Referring to Priyanka Gandhi's Rampur visit, the minister said, "The Congress is talking about farmers and going to shed crocodile tears (in Rampur)."
"What did the Congress do for farmers in 60 years?" the minister asked, alleging that "they only imposed debts on farmers, exploited them and got their lands purchased by their family members and made them commit suicides," said Raza. (PTI)
Veteran actor and BJP MP Hema Malini on Thursday said she was intrigued by foreign celebrities' support to ongoing farmers' protests when India was just a name "they have heard".
"I'm intrigued by foreign celebrities to whom our glorious country, India, is just a name they have heard, boldly making statements about our internal happenings and policies!" Malini tweeted.
"Wonder what they are trying to achieve, and more imptly (importantly), who are they trying to please?" she added in reference to American pop star Rihanna's tweet on Tuesday. (PTI)
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday met family members of a man who died during the January 26 protests in Delhi and said the government should repeal the new agri laws, instead of branding farmers "terrorists" and their agitation a "political conspiracy".
"If there is any bigger wrong other than the three farm laws, which the government should take back but is not doing so, it is that martyrs are branded as terrorists and the farmers' agitation is seen as a political conspiracy," the Congress general secretary said. "Names are given to those who raise their voice. But it is never said come and tell us about the pain in your heart as you are our countrymen," she added.
"This is not the moment for political talk but we cannot tolerate such 'julm'. The fact is that this is not a political agitation but an actual agitation of farmers and every countryman," Priyanka Gandhi said.
"I have come here to tell this family that you are not alone. Every single countryman is with you, be it of any religion, and farmers of every corner of the country are with you and we are with you," she said. (PTI)
The Cyber Cell of Delhi Police Thursday registered an FIR based on a tweet by child environmental activist Greta Thunberg where she had supported the ongoing farmers’ agitation in India.
“We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India,” the teen activist had tweeted.
A host of other international celebrities, including pop singer Rihanna, have also tweeted in support of Indian farmers.
TMC MP Derek O'Brien says there should be 'proper inquiry' into death of farmer during tractor parade in Delhi on Republic Day so that the truth can come out. He also pressed the government to repeal the three farm laws, offers 'Repealing Bill 2021' drafted by him for the purpose. (PTI)
Taking a view of tweets by some prominent international celebrities and activists in support of the farmers' protests, BJP Leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday claimed there was an international consipracy to defame India and create chaos and unrest in the country.
Talking to reporters in Nagpur, the former Maharashtra chief minister said some external forces do not want any stability in the country and this been now exposed through these tweets.
"How an international conspiracy is going on has been revealed with the tweets. India is being defamed using the platform of farmers' protest," Fadnavis said.
It has now come to fore how schemes are being made to create chaos and unrest in the country, he said. (PTI)
Iron nails studded on roads at Ghazipur border to restrict the movement of farmers agitating against the new agri laws are being “repositioned”, a senior police officer said on Thursday.
The statement comes after videos and photos of workers removing the nails near Ghazipur border surfaced on social media.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Deepak Yadav asserted that the security arrangements at the border will remain the same. Read the PTI report here.
Condemning the BJP-led government for its alleged "highhandedness even against MPs", SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that she was undeterred despite being stopped on her way to the protest site at Ghazipur border and was determined to meet the protesting farmers.
"See the high handedness of the BJP led GOI even against the MPs! We were forced to alight 3 km from the peaceful protest site. But we are undeterred. We are determined to see the conditions first hand and force the govt into action," she said.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Thursday visited Rampur in UP to meet the family of the farmer who was killed during the violence that broke out in the National Capital on Republic Day.
Earlier today, at least two vehicles in Gandhi's cavalcade collided at Hapur bypass. However, no injuries were reported.
Haryana Home and Health Minister Anil Vij Thursday appealed to farm leaders to call off the ‘chakka jam’ planned for Saturday, and “come forward for dialogue”.
Speaking to the media in Gurgaon on Thursday morning, Vij said, “Even the big issues of the world, international issues also, are solved through dialogue, and our government is always ready…even the Prime Minister has said that the roads for dialogue are always open, so they should come forward for dialogue.” Read the report here.
Opposition parties on Thursday tore into the government's handling of the farmer protest against three contentious farm reform laws, saying ministers believe in monologue and trenches have been dug, barbed wires put up and spikes installed when bridges should have been built to win over farmers.
Opening the second day of discussion on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session, Manoj Kumar Jha of the RJD said the government has lost the patience to hear and any criticism is painted as anti-national.
Amid multi-layer barricading, snapping of internet facilities and inadequate supply of water at the farmers’ agitation sites, the new message to the protesters, especially the youth, is to “tread carefully”, practice restraint and strictly avoid taking law and order into their hands.
"After the Red Fort incident by some misguided youths, there was a sense of disappointment among the farmer protesters. But now the protest has been revived in a much bigger way. This is not being tolerated by the government, which wants to finish this protest as soon as possible. It ordered police to set up multi-layered barricades, including barbed wire, digging of deep trenches, nails on the roads so that neither can supporters from Delhi side come to the dharnas site, nor can protesters move ahead. This has also affected supply of essentials to dharna sites. People are not getting water supply in toilets, for bathing, washing and even cooking langar. By doing so the government has been testing the patience of the protesters and in such conditions, we have been motivating our youth not to get provoked by any action of government and asked them to be restricted to their duties assigned by the farm leaders,” said Bhupinder Singh, farmer leader and state convener of the youth wing of Kirti Kisan Union (KKU), adding that they are managing some water supply from Haryana villages.
Read the report here.
Inaugurating the 'Chauri Chaura' centenary celebrations in Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the role played by farmers' in India's growth and progress. 'In the last six years, steps have been taken to make farmers self-reliant. As a result of this, agriculture sector has grown even during the pandemic,' he said.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to entertain a PIL seeking investigation into the violence during farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day and the alleged lapse in security which resulted in a religious flag being hoisted at Red Fort. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh asked the petitioner to either withdraw the plea or face dismissal with costs. (PTI)
In a video shared by ANI, the nails fixed near the barricades set up at the Ghazipur border protest site are seen being removed. However, in a statement issued this morning, the Delhi police clarified that the nails were merely being repositioned.
"Videos and photos are getting circulated in which it's shown that nails are being taken off Ghazipur. These are just being repositioned. Position of arrangement at border remains the same," Delhi police said.
Both handles of the Tractor2Twitter campaign, @tractor2twitr_b and @Tractor2twitr, have been suspended by the social media platform. Earlier this week, Twitter withheld one of the campaign's handles following a legal demand.
The campaign was launched by a group of young people from Ludhiana in December last year to take on those spreading 'fake news and running vilification campaigns' against the ongoing farmers' protest, PTI reported at the time.
The deployment of 31 CRPF companies, including 16 RAF companies, to oversee law and order during the ongoing farmers' protests in the National Capital, has been extended for another two weeks, ANI reported.
Recognising that peaceful protests are a hallmark of a thriving democracy, the US has said it welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India's markets and attract greater private sector investment.
The State Department, responding to a question on the ongoing farmers' protests in India, said on Wednesday the US encourages that any differences between the parties be resolved through dialogue.
Indicating that the new Biden administration is supportive of the Indian government's move to reform the agricultural sector that attracts private investment and greater market access to farmers, a State Department spokesperson said: 'In general, the United States welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India's markets and attract greater private sector investment'.
'We recognise that peaceful protests are a hallmark of any thriving democracy and note that the Indian Supreme Court has stated the same,' the official said. (PTI)
Asserting that the new farm laws were passed after extensive deliberations in Parliament, the BJP said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that the government’s doors were always open for farmers to resolve the issue amicably, and urged Opposition parties not to turn the agitation into another Shaheen Bagh.
Initiating the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, BJP member Bhubaneswar Kalita said, “The benefits of these three important farm laws have started reaching more than 10 crore people and small farmers. There has been no reduction in the rights and facilities of farmers. Through these agriculture reforms, the government has given new rights to farmers.”
Meanwhile, in his intervention, Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, while condemning the violence at Red Fort during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day, asked the government to withdraw the three laws without making it a prestige issue. Read the report here.
Even as residents of villages around the Singhu border protest site become increasingly frustrated by the barricading and blocking of passage around their villages, their sympathies largely lie with protesting farmers.
With the continuous increase in barricading and fortification of the protest site, residents of the villages of Singhu in Delhi and Kundli and Rasoi, among others, in Haryana have found themselves barricaded into their villages. Following the violence on January 26, the main exit from Singhu village — right at the border of Delhi and Haryana — to GT Karnal road has also been barricaded by Delhi Police. Read the report here.
The delegation of Opposition leaders paying a visit to the farmers protesting at the Ghazipur border protest site were halted by police, ANI reported.
A delegation of Opposition leaders -- including NCP MP Supriya Sule, DMK MP Kanimozhi, SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal -- has arrived at the Ghazipur border protest site. The leaders will meet the farmers who have been protesting against the Centre's contentious new farm laws and were stopped at the border.
P Chidambaram, former Union Home minister and senior Congress leader, Wednesday reacted to the MEA’s statement about international voices on the farmers’ protest. He said: “It is good that Rihanna and Greta Thunberg can wake up the MEA. Come on MEA, when will you realize that people concerned with issues of human rights and livelihoods do not recognize national boundaries? Why did MEA comment on the military coup in Myanmar? Why is it “deeply concerning” to the MEA? Why does MEA regularly comment on issues that are “internal” to Sri Lanka and Nepal? Why did the PM of India comment on the assault on the Capitol building in Washington by the Trump storm troopers? It is sad that someone erudite and worldly-wise like Mr S Jaishankar should allow such puerile reactions by the MEA."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said no propaganda can deter India's unity or stop the country from attaining new heights, after?American singer Rihanna and other celebrities and activists commented on the ongoing farmer protests.
"No propaganda can deter India's unity! No propaganda can stop India to attain new heights! Propaganda can not decide India's fate only 'Progress' can. India stands united and together to achieve progress," Shah tweeted.
The home minister's tweet was posted with hashtags - #IndiaAgainstPropaganda and #IndiaTogether - that were used in the statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and in the tweets by top Union Ministers who spoke in similar vein.
Haryana Agriculture Minister J P Dalal on Wednesday said the state government is continuously working to increase the income of farmers.
He said several steps are being taken towards increasing the farmers' income.
Dalal said the Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium Haryana (SFACH), a body focused on increasing incomes of small and marginal farmers through aggregation and development of agri-business, has signed a contract with private companies for the purchase of 700 tonnes (MT) of kinnow from farmers of the Sirsa district for this year.
He added that farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) are being formed so that peasants can get good prices for their crops. (PTI)
Farmers at Ghazipur border during the ongoing agitation over farm laws in New Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. (Express Photo By Amit Mehra)
After being marshalled out of Rajya Sabha, AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday claimed the Congress has made a backdoor deal with the BJP to not raise the issue of farmers' protests separately and aggressively inside the Parliament.
Addressing a press conference here, Singh asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the contentious farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.
"Congress has made a backdoor deal with the BJP to not raise the farmers' agitation separately and aggressively inside the Parliament.
"Today, when AAP MPs were marshalled out from Rajya Sabha, the Congress party remained silent," he said. (PTI)
A group of 140 lawyers has written a letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde urging him to take cognizance of a Centre's direction to impose internet shutdowns at Delhi borders where farmers are protesting against the three farm laws.
The letter urged the CJI to take suo motu note of the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and suspend the order to ensure that farmers' right to protest is protected.
The lawyers have suggested to the CJI that the apex judiciary should direct the MHA to "restrain from imposing further Internet shutdowns at the protest sites and adjoining areas". (PTI)
No extension of internet suspension at Delhi borders as of now, says Union Home Ministry. (PTI)
Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha acknowledged the support of international personalities towards the ongoing farmers' movement in India. "On the one hand, it is a matter of pride that eminent personalities of the world are showing sensitivity towards the cause of farmers, while on the other hand, it is unfortunate that the Government of India is not understanding the pain of the farmers and some people are even calling peaceful farmers as terrorists," Samyukta Kisan Morcha leader Darshan Pal said in a statement.
The farmers' body also extended support to the one day strike of electricity workers across the country. "We strongly oppose the privatization of electricity sector. The Draft Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 is an attack on farmers as well as other citizens," the statement read.
"The farmer movement is getting stronger day by day. After heavy support in Kisan Mahapanchayats in Uttar Pradesh, farmers have organized Mahapanchayats in Dabra and Phulbagh in Madhya Pradesh, Mehndipur in Rajasthan and Jind in Haryana. A large number of farmers will be coming to Delhi in the coming days."
"Farmers from Rajasthan and Punjab are reaching the Shahjahanpur border continuously. After the atrocities of the government, farmers have again started a dharna at Palwal border. In the coming days, a large number of farmers will reach this site from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan."
A senior Madhya Pradesh Minister claimed on Wednesday that the farmers' protest against the new farm laws is an "experiment" which could be replicated to push against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and other measures of the Centre.
Speaking to reporters here, state home minister Narottam Mishra also said that like the protest against the CAA, the present agitation on Delhi borders is based on only assumptions and not facts.
"The farmers' agitation is not a protest but an experiment," the BJP leader said.
"If it is successful and the farm laws are withdrawn, then these people will start protests against CAA, (the abrogation of) Article 370 and the Ram temple," he alleged.
The protesters term the farm laws "black laws" but can not explain what is "black" about them, Mishra said.
"Like the anti-CAA protest, the farmers' agitation is a movement based on assumptions," he said, while accusing the Congress of misleading the farmers and hampering their talks with the government. (PTI)
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva on Wednesday sought assurance from the government and the prime minister on the repeal of the three contentious farm laws against which several farmer unions have been protesting on various borders of Delhi.
He also expressed concern over the manner in which the farm bills were passed last year, but Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that everything was done according to rule. "As per the demand of our party president M K Stalin, I would urge the government, the prime minister in his reply would assure repealing of these farm laws," Siva said in Rajya Sabha.
"We have been pleading with you sir asking for more time to discuss about the farmer's agitation which is going on. We are happy the way you conduct the House and uphold merits of this Upper House but the way the bills were passed last year is really to be lamented. We were allotted four hours for two bills," Siva told the chair. (PTI)
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday criticised the multi-layered barricading by police at the farmers' protest sites on the borders of the national capital.
Taking to Twitter to express solidarity with the farmers agitating against the new agri laws, Mehbooba said while concertina wires and trenches around farmer protest sites have shocked everyone, the sight is far too familiar for the people of Kashmir.
"We understand the pain & humiliation inflicted on our farmers & stand in solidarity with them," the former chief minister said in another tweet, adding the government cannot "run roughshod" over those who protest. (PTI)
Repeal the three farm laws and continue the agitation under the leadership of the 40-member committee of farmer unions. This was the broad message at the Kandela mahapanchayat at Haryana's Jind district on Wednesday which was attended by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Rakesh Tikati along with thousands of other protesters.
The mahapanchayat adopted a five-point resolution, which called for a repeal of the three farm laws; constitutional guarantee of MSP; implementation of the Swaminathan report; withdrawal of all cases registered against farmers following the January 26 Red Fort incident and their release. It also called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home minister Amit Shah to hold talks with the farmers' unions.
Addressing the gathering, Tikait said the decision to resume dialogue with the Union government will be taken by the Samyukta Kisan Union, the 40-member committee of farm union leaders. “Just as you don’t change the sarpanch midway, we will not change the leadership in the middle of the agitation,” said Tikait, who was accompanied on stage by other farm union leaders such as Balbir Singh Rajewal of BKU (Rajewal) and Gurnam Singh Chaduni, president of BKU, Haryana.
(Report by Sukhbir Siwach)
Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the farmers' issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible. "Farmers who work hard for us are protesting at Delhi borders. Why is Delhi being converted into fortress," he asked.
Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh on Wednesday released his latest track dedicated to international pop star Rihanna, less than 24 hours after she voiced her support to the ongoing farmers agitation in the country.
The 2.16 minute-long Punjabi number draws its title, 'RIRI (Rihanna)', from the Grammy-winning artiste's nickname.
The audio track, which was released on Dosanjh's YouTube channel around 1.30 pm, has been penned by lyricist Raj Ranjodh, with music by Intense.
The song acknowledges Rihanna's Caribbean roots, with the opening lines describing the singer as a "beautiful woman from Barbados" with "shining, bright eyes" who "spreads colours" all around her.
Attending the kisan mahapanchayat at Jind, BKU leader Wednesday reiterated his stand to repeal the three contentious farm laws, besides asking the government to frame the MSP system into law, implement the Swaminathan Committee report, and take back cases against the farmers filed following the Republic Day violence.
The stage on which Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait and other farmer leaders were standing, collapses in Jind, Haryana.
Shortly after the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement condemning foreign celebrities supporting the farmers' agitation in India, actor Akshay Kumar tweeted with hashtag #Indiaagainstpropaganda. "Farmers constitute an extremely important part of our country. And the efforts being undertaken to resolve their issues are evident. Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences," he tweeted.
Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday asked the government to withdraw the three contentious farm bills without making it a prestige issue. Declaring that disrespect to the national flag cannot be tolerated, he also condemned the violence at Red Fort during the farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day.
Participating in the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, he suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself should make the announcement on repeal of the bills.
"I urge the government to withdraw these three bills," he said, and added that the government should set up a committee to find out the whereabouts of people "who have gone missing" during the farmers' protest.
Highlighting the problems which farmers would face because of the new laws, Azad said government should not see repealing of the legislations as a "prestige issue". Describing farmers as "annadata", the Congress veteran said there was no point in confronting them. Instead, the government should focus on other important issues, including on revival of the economy. (PTI)
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait reaches Kandela kisan mahapanchayat, to address shortly.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said his government will help trace the farmers missing from protest sites and if the need arises, he will approach the Lieutenant Governor and the Centre.
Kejriwal said that the Delhi government will also release a list of 115 persons lodged in different jails here in connection with the January 26 violence.
"We are releasing a list of 115 protesters who were arrested by police in relation to the Republic Day incident and are in different jails in the city. Our government will make every effort to trace the protesters who are missing and I will even speak to the Lt Governor and the central government if the need arises," he said at a press conference.
A delegation from the legal team of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha met Kejriwal and presented him a list of 29 missing farmers. It also demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged "conspiracy against the farmers' protest" and a medical board to examine those in jail. (PTI)
Soon after American pop singer Rihanna tweeted about the ongoing farmers’ protest in India, several other prominent international celebrities and activists have also extended their support to the farmer-led movement against the Centre’s contentious new farm laws. “Why aren’t we talking about this?!”, Rihanna tweeted on Tuesday, along with the hashtag ‘#FarmersProtest’.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg also took to Twitter to share a news story about the internet shutdowns in Delhi. “We stand in solidarity with the #FarmersProtest in India,” the teen activist tweeted. Click here to know all international celebs who have supported the farmers' protest
A large number of women, present at Kandela kisan mahapanchayat, raise slogans of "Jai Jawan- Jai Kisan", "Punjab-Haryana unity Jindabad".