Minister's no response claim angers India farmers

The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) has refuted the Union Agriculture Minister's claim that the farmer unions did not respond to the Govt’s offer of solving specific issues and walked away. The AIKSCC said that the govt is falsely claiming that the farmers’ organisations have gone back on talks.

New Delhi:Farmer Unions protesting against the three farm laws slammed union agriculture minister for his statement that farmers walked away from the talks. All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee today said that the ministers had initially offered to consider farmer union's demand to repeal three acts in the Dec 5 meeting but came back with the old proposal on 9th of Dec.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar while talking to a news agency today said that the farmer unions did not respond to the government's offer of solving specific issues and they have walked away. AIKSCC, a federation of more than 200 farmer unions reacted on minister's statement today and called it as false.

"On Dec 5 government had explained all the specific solutions in great detail. Thereafter when the farmers' organisations asked for a clear answer in Yes or No, the ministers stated that they will discuss in the government and get back to them. Now the government is falsely claiming that the farmers' organisations have gone back on talks and should not have intensified the agitation when talks are on" said AIKSCC in a statement.

"Farmers organisations are always ready for talks and have responded each time the government has called. It is government which is adamant on continuing with not repealing the three acts" it added.

Meanwhile, farmers' groups are preparing to block the Jaipur-Delhi highway and also make toll routes free of cess on Saturday. More farmers are joining dharna sites in Singh, Timro, Ghazipur and Palwal. A small group of Farmers from Tamilnadu arrived to join the protest and more groups from different states will be joining the movement on Delhi borders as claimed by the AIKSCC.

A nationwide sit-in protest has also been called by Samyukt Kisan Morcha on 14th of December and apart from the centralised protest on Delhi borders, statewide protests on daily basis are also being scheduled by Farmer Unions.