Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said: “I received a phone call. Amit Shah has called a meeting. We have been called at 7 pm.”
A day before the government’s sixth round of negotiations to end massive protests against farm laws, union home minister Amit Shah has stepped in and called farmers for talks this evening.
Indicating that the government is engaging with the farmers at the highest level, the home minister’s invite comes as a nationwide shutdown or Bharat Bandh called by protesting farmers hit road and rail traffic in parts of the country blocked many highways and shut down markets, affecting supplies.
Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said: “I received a phone call. Amit Shah has called a meeting. We have been called at 7 pm.”
Various representatives of farmer groups protesting on the highways near Delhi would attend the meeting, said Mr Tikait.
Discussions held between farmers and centre on Friday, which lasted seven hours, failed to end the deadlock.
They would not accept anything short of the scrapping of three new laws enacted in September, which they fear will reduce their earnings and leave them at the mercy of corporates, farmers’ group said.
The government “has no ego” but made it clear that the government was ready to offer anything but repeal the laws, union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar, who led the negotiations, said.
Balkaran Singh Brar, a leader of All-India Kisan Sabha, said: “The government suggested an amendment in all three laws. But the farmers’ organisations unanimously said all the three laws should be repealed. The government assured that they can consider new laws on Minimum Support Price.”
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