PM Modi chairs meeting on farmers' agitation issue

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], December 5 : Ahead of the crucial fifth round of talks with protesting farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning chaired a crucial meeting to find a solution to the ongoing agitation at the borders of the national capital.
Sources told ANI that senior ministers including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar were present at the meeting.
It is understood that the senior ministers apprised the Prime Minister regarding their ongoing talks with the agitating farmers and discussed various issues related to the protests.
Meanwhile, farmers are firm on their stand and are asking the Central government to repeal the three farm laws passed during the recent monsoon session, despite an extensively elaborate 'clause by clause' discussion of the three acts and objections regarding them.
Speaking to ANI early this morning, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that government is still hopeful and it is on the discussion table that they will know what more farmers want.
"I am hopeful and will only go by what transpires in the meeting and not on statements given by farmers outside the meeting," he added while responding to farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa's statement that even written promise of MSP won't make them stop the agitation against three laws.
As the government is maintaining that there is headway in the discussions and a possibility of finding a solution to end the agitation across Delhi borders, but on the contrary farmers could be heard speaking in different tones.
The protests, the BJP believes are being fuelled by the opposition Congress, which is enabling the farmers to blockade the national capital by cutting of major access routes.
The ministers and farmers are meeting today at 2 pm in the national Capital for yet another round of meetings.
The farmers' agitation in Delhi entered the tenth day today, with a large number of farmers gathered in and around the national capital to protest against the three farm laws.
Meanwhile, a nationwide shutdown has been called by the protesting farmers on Tuesday (December 8).
On December 3, the farmers held the fourth round of talks with the Centre and said the government had talked of bringing some amendments to farm laws. In the fourth round of the meeting, farmer leaders suggested the government to hold a special session of the Parliament and sought the abolition of the three farm laws.
"The government will discuss points that emerged at the meeting on Friday and hopes that talks will move towards finality when the next round of discussions are held on Saturday," Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said.
He reached out to protesting farmers over their demands, saying MSP will not be touched, the government was open to their suggestions for parity between mandis under APMC Act and that outside, for disputes under the new farm laws being adjudged in courts and for registration of traders.
Previously on December 1, during the first meeting with Centre after the agitation reached Delhi, the farmers had refused the tea invitation from the government stating that they are demanding their right from the government and not anything else.
The farmers are protesting against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.