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Farmers' Protest News Highlights: The 'Delhi Chalo' farmers' protest at border points of New Delhi has entered the 40th day today. Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along Delhi borders. The protest started on November 26. The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system being retained. Multiple rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ union leaders have ended in a stalemate. Protesting farmers fear that the new laws will dismantle the MSP system and corporatise farming. The Centre and farmers’ union leaders are holding the seventh round of talks.
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Farmers' protest 35 Panjab University students write to CJI seek probe into police atrocities
Thirty-five students of Panjab University have written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) S A Bobde and other judges of the Supreme Court seeking an inquiry into alleged police atrocities on the farmers protesting at Delhi borders against the three farm laws.
Aanchal Sawa, one of the signatories of the letter, told PTI that the apex court registry has provided the diary number to the letter which may be registered and heard as a PIL.
Tomar says no solution could be found as farmers 'adamant' on complete rollback of agri laws
After the eighth round of talks, the Centre could not reach any "solution" as the farmer unions remained "adamant" over repealing of three farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on January 4.
"We wanted farmer unions to discuss three laws clause-wise. We could not reach any solution as farmer unions remained adamant on the repeal of the laws," Tomar told reporters here this evening at Vigyan Bhawan.
Farmers won't lose land under new farm laws: BJP leader and UP Vyapari board chief
The apprehension that farmers may lose their land under the Centre's farm laws is baseless, BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Vyapaari Kalyan Board Chairman Ravi Kant Garg said today. The former state minister claimed that the agriculture reforms introduced by the Centre will safeguard farmers' land.
The transfer, sale and mortgaging of farmers' land during the process of signing any agreement has been strictly prohibited, he said. (Input from PTI)
Hope farmers gets justice, will be relief to all: Dharmendra
Ahead of the next round of talks between the central government and protesting farmer unions, veteran actor and former Member of Parliament (MP) Dharmendra today said that he prays with all his heart that the farmers agitating against the three farm reform laws get justice today.
“I hope today my farmer brothers get justice. I pray with all my heart. Every noble soul will get relief," Dharmendra, 84, wrote in Hindi on Twitter. (Input from PTI)
The next round of talks between the Centre and the farmers’ union leaders is expected to start at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi shortly.
Routes connecting Delhi to Ghaziabad and Noida via Ghazipur and Chilla borders remained partially closed today due to the farmers' protest, the traffic police said. They advised commuters to take alternative routes for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Bhopra and Loni borders. (Input from PTI)
Reliance Jio to move court against vandalism of mobile towers in Punjab, Haryana
Reliance Jio Infocomm will file a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the intervention of the government to stop vandalism of its communication infrastructure by miscreants, the company said today.
In a media statement, the company said the “acts of violence have endangered the lives of thousands of its employees and caused damage and disruption to the vital communications infrastructure” and service outlets run by its subsidiaries in the states of Haryana and Punjab.
In recent weeks, there have been reports of around 1,500 mobile towers and telecom gear owned by Jio being vandalised in Punjab, allegedly by farmers protesting against the new farm reform laws that seek to liberalise the market for agricultural produce and commodities.
Hope farmers gets justice, will be relief to all: Dharmendra
Ahead of the next round of talks between the central government and protesting farmer unions, veteran actor and former Member of Parliament (MP) Dharmendra today said that he prays with all his heart that the farmers agitating against the three farm reform laws get justice today.
“I hope today my farmer brothers get justice. I pray with all my heart. Every noble soul will get relief," Dharmendra, 84, wrote in Hindi on Twitter. (Input from PTI)
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Spokesperson Rakesh Tikait to news agency ANI: So far, 60 farmers have lost their lives during the protest. One farmer is dying every 16 hours. It is the responsibility of the government to answer.
Waterlogged tents, soaked blankets: Protesting farmers at borders brave cold conditions, downpour
Waterlogged tents, soaked firewood and blankets, and cold conditions – farmers camping at Delhi borders in protest against new farm reform laws had a difficult morning yesterday due to overnight rains. The continuous downpour led to waterlogging at agitation venues and waterproof tents did not help much, according to protesters.
No plans to enter contract farming, won't purchase any agricultural land, says Reliance Industries
Reliance Industries Limited said today that it has no plans of entering contract or corporate farming and that it is committed to empowering farmers. The conglomerate said it had never bought agricultural land for corporate farming or contract farming and had no plans to do so.
RIL further said that it does not purchase food grains directly from farmers and its suppliers buy from farmers only at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) level.
