Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, & Mangesh borders are closed. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba & GTK road: Delhi Traffic Police
Farmers' Protest Highlights: The Delhi Chalo farmers' protest at border points in New Delhi has entered the 23rd day today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun his address to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh. Affirming that the right to protest is part of a fundamental right, the Supreme Court has said it will not interfere at this stage with the farmers' ongoing stir, and the agitation should be allowed to continue without impediment and without any breach of peace either by the protestors or the police. Meanwhile, Narendra Singh Tomar issued an 8-page open letter to farmers saying the Centre is ready to address all their concerns. Farmers have so far rejected the government's offer of amendments in the new agriculture reform laws and a written assurance on continuing the MSP system. Previous five rounds of talks between the central government and representatives of 40 farmer unions remained inconclusive. Farmers have said that the protest will continue until their demands are met and the laws are scrapped. They fear that the new laws will dismantle the minimum support price (MSP) system and corporatise farming.
Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, & Mangesh borders are closed. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba & GTK road: Delhi Traffic Police
The traffic on Jaipur-Delhi national highway remained partially affected for the sixth consecutive day on Friday due to the farmers' agitation near the Rajasthan-Haryana border. Despite intense cold conditions, the farmers have been staying put in Shahjahapr near the border since Sunday, protesting against the three agri laws introduced by the Centre.
One side of the highway, from Jaipur to Delhi, is closed whereas the other side, from Delhi to Jaipur, is open for traffic. On Friday, the farmers were addressed by activists Kavita Srivastava, Kanwar Yadav and others, spokesperson of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Rajasthan) Ram Madhav said.
(PTI)
A group comprising 20 Indian doctors from the USA has delayed its return to provide medical services at Tikri border, where thousands of farmers have been protesting against the new farm laws for over three weeks now. Svaiman Singh, one of the doctors in the team, said they set up medical camps at Tikri nearly 20 days back and have been attending to the sick farmers since then.
"Every year we come to India to set up free medical camps to help those in need. This year the people who were most in need are these farmers, so we are here," the cardiologist said. "We came to India about three months back for our annual medical camp trip and were scheduled to return in a month's time, but stayed back to offer facilities to the farmers," he said.
Hailing from a farmers' family himself, the doctor said they plan to stay back as long as the farmers need them. He also said they are being helped by doctors in India with all kinds of medical supplies.
(PTI)
The opposition says that the one who made the bills isn't a farmer. The one who talks of producing 40-inch potato is he a farmer? Is Sonia Gandhi a farmer? The one who actually did something for farmers is PM Narendra Modi.
PM Narendra Modi provided Rs 8 lakh crores in MSP to farmers during his tenure compared to Rs 3.5 lakh crores which UPA provided in 10 yrs of their tenure. What did they do when they were the ruling party?
Slamming Opposition leaders for their stance against the new farm laws, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has alleged that "failed political players" who have been rejected repeatedly by the people are acting under their "depression of defeat" and "misleading" the farmers.
The Minority Affairs Minister also lashed out at Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that the Congress leader was "posing" as a farmers' leader despite knowing little about farming, while the Delhi chief minister was "karne mein zero, dharne mein hero (zero in work, but hero in sit-ins)".Farmers throughout the country are satisfied that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked for their empowerment and interests after coming to power, Naqvi said. (PTI)
Union minister ParshottamRupala on Friday alleged that the only purpose of the protest going on at Delhi borders against three farm laws is to oppose the central government and it is not meant for the welfare of farmers. He also urged the farmers to let these agriculture lawsget implemented first and then approach the government for any modifications.
"This agitation is not at all for the benefit of farmers. It is going on just to oppose the central government. There is always a scope for making amendments in the future if farmers feel that some provision is not right. So the upfront demand to scrap the entire law at this juncture is improper," the Minister of State for Agriculture said.
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri accused the Congress on Friday of spreading "canards" over the recent farm laws and "instigating" protests, while taking a swipe at the party on the absence of many of its members in the Rajya Sabha when these bills were passed."Even their senior leader, Rahul Gandhi, was vacationing abroad when the voting took place. The party is clearly imploding. It should rather bother about holding its remnants together than stoking fire in the country," Puri said in tweets.
Citing a Hindi idiom, the Union civil aviation minister alleged that the Congress is warming its hands while setting the houses of others on fire. "Congress is doing precisely that. It points out non-existent flaws in Farm Bills, spreads canards & instigates protests. If it wanted to block the bills why were the party MPs not present in full force during RS voting?" he asked. "Our farmers have played a positive role in putting food on our table and in making the green revolution," Puri said while reiterating the Centre's stand that if they have any concerns about the farm laws, it will sit across the table and resolve those.
On 25th December, the birth anniversary of Atal Bihar Vajpayee, I will once again talk about this subject in more detail.On that day, another instalment of PM Kisan Samman Nidhi will be transferred to the bank accounts of crores of farmers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on December 18 that the new farm reform laws were not brought in overnight and that they were discussed by every government over two decades.Addressing farmers virtually as part of the ‘Kisan Kalyan Sammelan’, PM Modi slammed the opposition and said political parties should stop “misguiding” farmers.
“It has been six-seven months since the farm laws were implemented. But now suddenly, games are being played to plough one's own political land through a web of lies,” PM Modi said.
Swaminathan Commission report is the biggest proof of how ruthless these people can be. These people sat on theSwaminathan Commission report recommendations for 8 years. They ensured that their government didn't have to spend money on farmers. Theykept the report under wraps
If we wanted to remove MSP, why would we implement Swaminathan Commission report? Our government is serious about the MSP, that's why we declare it before sowing season every year. This makes it easy for farmers to make calculations
Ourgovernment has not only increased the MSP, but also purchased a lot of produce from farmers on MSP. Thebiggest benefit has been that more money has reached the farmers' account than before. In the last five years of the previous government, farmers received only Rs 3.74 lakh crore rupees on the purchase of paddy and wheat on MSP, while Modi government has given more than Rs 8 lakh crore to farmers by purchasing wheat and paddy
