This LIVE blog session has concluded. Stay tuned to Moneycontrol for the latest news, views and updates.
Farmers' Protest News Highlights: The 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest at border points of New Delhi has entered the 28th day today. Protesting farmer unions deferred a decision on the central government's offer for fresh talks till today, even as Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressed the hope that they will soon resume the dialogue to resolve the impasse over the new agri laws. Agitating farmers have claimed that there is nothing new in the Centre's latest
Unfortunate that farmers have to protest for rights: Sharad Pawar
Farmers urge people to skip one meal on Kisan Diwas
AAP seeks BJP MP's expulsion for using foul language against farmers
Protesting farmers to observe Kisan Divas today, SAD to participate in hunger-strike
Congress to gherao BJP offices today across UP in support of farmers' stir
Congress seeks President's intervention for annulling farm laws
Farmers block all 14 lanes of NH9 at UP Gate for eight hours
Protesting farmer objects to BJP using his photo
Farmer unions defer decision on Centre's talks offer till today
This LIVE blog session has concluded. Stay tuned to Moneycontrol for the latest news, views and updates.
Terming the Left parties'' stand on the three farm laws "hypocritical", the BJP on Wednesday accused them of "exploiting" the farmers while in power in Tripura, Kerala and West Bengal.
Wherever the Left parties were in power, there was "nothing left" for the farmers and the economy, party spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters.
"For 25 years, till 2018, there was a Left government in Tripura. I feel sad in saying that there was no MSP in the state for 25 years. Today, the Left leaders are acting as well wishers of the farmers, but all they did was to exploit them.
"The first thing the BJP did after coming to power in Tripura in 2018 was procurement of paddy. As much as 48,716 tonnes of paddy was procured from 27,735 farmers at an expenditure of Rs 86.65 crore," he said.
Government is constantly holding talks with so-called Farmers' leaders & organisations, who're not associated with our movement at all. This is an attempt to break our movement. Governmentis dealing with protesting farmers, the way it deals with its opposition. We urge the government not to repeat those meaningless amendments which we have rejected but come up with a concrete proposal in writing so that it can be made an agenda, and the process of negotiation can be started as soon as possible.
A group of farmers here on Wednesday organised a yagna seeking a change of heart by the government on the new agri laws.
The yagna was organised on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
"We organised the yagna for ''buddhi-shuddhi'' of the government so that it could understand the repercussion of the new agri laws and withdraw it," Bhartiya Kisan Union (Asli) divisional president Sanjay Gandhi said.
Following Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee's direction, five lawmakers of the party on Wednesday met and interacted with farmers who are on a relay hunger strike at Singhu border.
The five MPs include Derek O'Brien, Satabdi Roy, Prasun Banerjee, Pratima Mondal and Md Nadimul Haque.
Earlier, TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari had said his party will not only keep on fighting for farmers' rights but will also continue to work together to strengthen the democracy.
West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar on farmers' protest
#KisanDiwas I call upon CM @MamataOfficial to undo grave injustice to farmers by continuing to deny benefit #PMKISAN.
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) December 23, 2020
So far, each farmer has lost Rs. 12,000 & total loss to farmers of State is Rs. 8400 crores. This is heart-renderingly worrisome and calls for soul-searching. pic.twitter.com/owp4EIikpu
Mamata Banerjee speaks to farmers protesting at Singhu border, assures of her support
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 23 spoke to the farmers camping at the national capital's Singhu border protesting the Central farm laws and assured them of her support in their stir, the Trinamool Congress said.
This was the second time in a month that the TMC supremo had a telephonic interaction with the agitating farmers.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar: Through various schemes, we will fill all gaps in agriculture sector, which will benefit farmers and ensure they get the right price. Even during COVID-19 pandemic, we saw that work related to farming and agriculture wasn't affected. I'm hopeful that farmers' unions will discuss our request. Whatever they want to add andsubtract from the government's proposal, they should tell us. We're ready for a discussion at the time and date of their convenience. I'm hopeful of a solution.
Various activists arrested in theElgar Parishad-Maoist links' case are observing a day-long hunger strike on Wednesday at Taloja jail in Maharashtra in support of farmers who are protesting against the Centre's new farm laws.The activists, in a joint statement on the occasion of the National Farmers' Day, said they are lodged in the jail in Navi Mumbai and cannot participate physically in the farmers' agitation.
Hence, they are observing a day-long symbolic hunger strike in the jail. "The demands you (farmers) have raised are absolutely right and just," they said in the statement, conveyed through advocate Nihalsingh Rathod.
Haryana Police has registered a case against 13 farmers on various charges including attempt to murder and rioting after a group of peasants protesting against the Centre's new farm laws had allegedly blocked and hurled sticks at Chief Minister M L Khattar's convoy.On Tuesday, agroup of protesting farmers had shown black flags to Khattar when his convoy was passing through Ambala City.Some of the farmers had allegedly tried to block Khattar's motorcade but police managed to provide a safe passage to the chief minister after some time.The case against the farmers was registered late Tuesday on the complaint of some security personnel. Police on Wednesday said some farmers tried to charge towards the convoy and blocked its movement for some time.They said some farmers also allegedly hurled sticks towards some vehicles in the motorcade.
Haryana Police has registered a case against 13 farmers on various charges including attempt to murder and rioting after a group of peasants protesting against the Centre's new farm laws had allegedly blocked and hurled sticks at Chief Minister M L Khattar's convoy.On Tuesday, agroup of protesting farmers had shown black flags to Khattar when his convoy was passing through Ambala City.Some of the farmers had allegedly tried to block Khattar's motorcade but police managed to provide a safe passage to the chief minister after some time.The case against the farmers was registered late Tuesday on the complaint of some security personnel. Police on Wednesday said some farmers tried to charge towards the convoy and blocked its movement for some time.They said some farmers also allegedly hurled sticks towards some vehicles in the motorcade.