Camping out at the Delhi borders amid the bitter cold and rains, the protesting farmers have warned that they will hold a tractor rally on Republic Day if their demands are not met.
With two key issues still on board — the repeal of the three agriculture laws and giving legal status to the minimum support price guarantee, the seventh round of talks between the Centre and the protesting farmers will be held today. Camping out at the Delhi borders amid the bitter cold and rains, the protesting farmers have warned that they will hold a tractor rally on Republic Day if their demands are not met.
The central government, after the last round of meetings, had said that the two sides had come to an understanding on two of the four demands of the farmers – withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill and the penal provisions for stubble burning in the Air Quality Commission Ordinance.
Earlier on Saturday, Dr Darshanpal, one of the farmer leaders told at a press briefing: āWe are going to hold discussions on January 4 (Monday). The Supreme Court is going to hear the matter on January 5. If no conclusion is reached and if talks fail, we will hold a tractor march on Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway in Haryana on January 6. We will protest for 15 days. On January 23, Subhash Chandra Boseās birthday, we will hold a protest outside the Governorās House.”
āOn January 26, we will hold a massive rally in Delhi with tricolours on tractors. We give this call for countrywide protests at all the headquarters,ā he said.
The government is misleading them over the minimum support price for their produce, the farmer leaders alleged.
āThe government is misleading usā¦ Theyāre saying the MSP wonāt be abolished. But weāre demanding that a law should be created for itā¦ itās our right,ā another farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadhuni told.
The government offered to withdraw the Electricity Amendment Bill and the penal provisions for stubble burning in the Air Quality Commission Ordinance during the sixth round of talks between central ministers and farmers leaders earlier this week.
An agreement over MSP, however, could not be reached in the last meeting. Farmers have been insisting on a complete repeal of the laws, and the centre hasnāt agreed to it.
“If the government doesn’t agree to our demands, we will start marching towards Delhi from Shahjahanpur border next week,” Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav had said.
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