National Farmers Federation spokesman Abhimanyu Kohar talks to ETV Bharat on the sixth round of talks between the farmers and the govt.
Farmers' stir: Sixth round of talks concluded
Centre, farmer unions to resume stalled talks today
22:47 December 30
National Farmers Federation spokesman Abhimanyu Kohar talks to ETV Bharat
20:40 December 30
Daughter of a farmer celebrates her birthday at Ghazipur border (UP-Delhi) border where farmers are protesting against the new agriculture laws.
20:22 December 30
There's still a deadlock over 3 farm laws being scrapped. We couldn't reach a consensus with them on MSP. On issue of stubble burning, govt agreed to exclude farmers from fine. On electricity issue, govt has taken back Power Bill 2020: Krantikari Kisan Union President Darshan Pal
20:21 December 30
Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)
Issues related to stubble burning & electricity were sorted in today's meeting. 2 of our main issues still need to be resolved. We'll discuss topics related to MSP & repealing of 3 Farm laws in the next meeting on 4th Jan: Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)
19:29 December 30
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on 6th round of talks with farmers' unions at Vigyan Bhawan
Today's talks were held in a very good environment & it concluded on a positive note. Consensus on 2 out of 4 issues was reached between both sides: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on 6th round of talks with farmers' unions at Vigyan Bhawan
19:16 December 30
According to sources, the govt has agreed on farmers' demand to amend provision of heavy penalty and prison on stubble burning. The government has also assured to look into the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.
Sources said that the ministers are not talking on the modalities to repeal the three Farm Laws, hinting that the laws will continue. Further, the govt has agreed to only give a written assurance on MSP. No law has been guaranteed on the MSP.
The deadlock is unlikely to end as officers are trying to convince farmers by talking to them separately but farmers adamant on their demands, sources revealed.
17:34 December 30
The sixth round of meeting between farmer leaders and the government concludes.
The next meeting will take place on January 4.
16:45 December 30
Delhi: A 'Kar Sewa' tempo, carrying food for farmers delegation, seen at Vigyan Bhawan.
Sixth-round of talks over Farm Laws between Centre and farmer unions is currently underway.
16:41 December 30
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal & Narendra Singh Tomar having food with farmers leaders
Delhi: Union Ministers Piyush Goyal & Narendra Singh Tomar having food with farmers leaders during the lunch break at Vigyan Bhawan where the govt is holding talks with farmers on three farm laws.
15:18 December 30
Delhi: Meeting between Union Government and farmer leaders over three farm laws underway at Vigyan Bhawan. Farmer leaders demand justice and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during the protest.
14:24 December 30
Narendra Singh Tomar arrives at Vigyan Bhawan
Narendra Singh Tomar arrives at Vigyan Bhawan
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar arrives at Vigyan Bhawan ahead of the sixth round of talks with farmers.
14:15 December 30
3 Union Ministers to hold talks with 40 farmer leaders
Three Union Ministers will hold talks with 40 farmer leaders here on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to find a solution to the demands of the farmers.
Farmer leaders left Singhu border for Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, where the sixth round of talks between the two sides was slated to begin at 2 pm.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash would represent the Centre at the talks, where Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal and other Ministry officials would also be present.
On December 5, the fifth round of talks were held between the 40 farmer leaders and the three Union Ministers but faced a deadlock as farmers were adamant on their demand for the repeal of the three new central farm laws.
13:49 December 30
Rakesh Tikait leaves for Vigyan Bawan
Rakesh Tikait leaves for Vigyan Bhawan
Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, who is a part of the delegation holding talks with the Union Government over farm laws, leaves for Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi from Ghazipur border (UP-Delhi border) for today's talks between farmers and government
13:05 December 30
Vigyan Bhawan
A delegation of 40 farmer leaders reached Vigyan Bhawan to hold sixth round of talks with the government.
Earlier, addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Govind Dotasra said the government must immediately repeal the three farm laws and bring fresh ones after incorporating the demands of farmers and then get them passed by Parliament.
Shukla also said it was wrong on the part of the government to dub the farmers agitation as political as it is an attempt to defame farmers.
NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, accused the Centre of bulldozing the farm laws without consulting states and asserted that agriculture cannot be run "sitting in Delhi" as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.
Pawar also raised questions about the composition of the three-member ministerial group negotiating with the unions, saying the ruling party should have put forward leaders with "in-depth" understanding of agriculture and farmers' issues.
In an interview, the former union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was "unfair" on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers.
He said the opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve the impasse.
The three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
12:28 December 30
Farmer leaders leave for Vigyan Bhawan for talks with government
A delegation of farmers leaders leave Singhu border to hold talks with Centre over three farm laws Union Government will hold sixth round of talks with the protesting farmers today.
12:20 December 30
Meet the family whose three generations are protesting at Singhu border
Meet the family whose three generations are protesting at Singhu border
Three generations of a family are protesting against the farm laws at the Singhu border.
When the family reached Delhi for the protest on the night of 26 and 27 November, they were taken into custody by the police, including the youngest member of their family, who is 12 years old.
Gursimran Singh along with his father Ravindra Singh and grandfather Pyara Singh remained in detention near Karol Bagh in Delhi for 16 hours and told ETV Bharat what the police station experience was like at this age.
Another member of the same family, Dr. Mahendra Singh Banwet is also part of the protest.
Dr. Mahendra Singh, 75, has served in the field of education for nearly 40 years and is now a farmer.
Not only children and elders but also women from this family are participating in the protest, who believe that this agrarian movement has connected not only families but also 2 states and Punjab's relations with Haryana became closer than before.
Till 1966, Punjab and Haryana were one, but in 1966, Punjab was declared a separate state and Haryana a separate state, after which a dispute was deepened in both the states over the water of Sutlej Yamuna which is still in the Supreme Court.
After this peasant struggle, the relations between the farmers of the two states has improved and the farmers of Haryana are supporting the farmers of Punjab in the struggle.
10:53 December 30
Five rounds of talks between farmers and govt have taken place. We don't think we will reach a solution even today. The three farm laws should be repealed: Sukhwinder Singh Sabra, Joint Secy, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab ahead of the sixth round of talks with govt
10:52 December 30
It's essential to have strong opposition in the country whom the govt fears but here they don't. This is why farmers had to come on roads. Opposition should sit in pitched tents& stage protest on roads against the farm laws: Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union at Ghazipur border
10:52 December 30
We hope that the talks will be decisive. Talks will be held on all issues including MSP with an open heart. I hope that farmers' agitation ends today: Som Prakash, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry on govt-farmers' talks today
10:32 December 30
No hope for any development
Ahead of the sixth round of talks between the Centre and the farmers over the three farm laws, various farmer leaders said that they are not hopeful of any positive development today.
In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Baldev Singh Sirsa, a member of the core committee of the United Kisan Morcha and farmer leader said that on one hand the government has been making all efforts to discredit the movement and on the other hand has been writing letters and calling for talks.
The government wants to run away from the agenda which is our agenda, and we want to pursue the dialogue within that agenda itself. If this happens, it will be on the same agenda that we have given to the government in our letter.
He also said that we started a peaceful protest and want to continue it as such.
The farmers' organization had appealed for Boycott of Jio, but we never said that the towers or other equipment of any telecom company should be damaged. We are not aware of whoever is doing this kind of work, but we appeal to them not to do such work if it is in the interest of the farmer.
The incidents which have taken place cannot be changed, but no further harm should be done to anyone and no connection should be cut. This topic was also discussed in the meeting of farmer leaders and everyone has said that these incidents should not happen.
The representative of the Peasant Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee of Punjab, c, has also objected to the damage to the telecom tower, saying that harassing anyone is not part of the movement. We only called for Boycott. This is also the order of our top leadership that no force should be taken and the movement should be conducted in a peaceful manner.
Any incidents that have come out of Punjab are not part of our movement.
07:37 December 30
Protest to continue till demands are met
Protest to continue till demands are met
In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikat said that the protest of the farmers will continue till the demands are met. He added that if the demands are not met, the farmers will unfurl the Tricolour on January 26 marching on tractors.
06:22 December 30
Centre, farmer unions to resume stalled talks today
New Delhi: The Centre and the protesting farmer unions will resume stalled talks on Wednesday with the latter sticking to their hardline position that the parleys will only be on the modalities of repealing the three new Agri laws and giving a legal guarantee on the MSP among other issues.
Ahead of the crucial sixth round of talks after a three-week hiatus, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal on Tuesday met senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah. Sources said they discussed and finalised the government's position for the meeting.
Tomar, the Minister for Agriculture, and Goyal, the Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, and MoS Commerce and Industry Som Parkash have been representing the Centre at the talks with the farmers. Tomar on Monday said he is hopeful of an early solution to the impasse.
The Centre on Monday invited the 40 protesting farmer unions for the next round of talks on December 30 on all relevant issues to find a "logical solution" with "open mind" to the prolonged impasse over the three new Agri laws that were enacted in September.
But in its letter on Tuesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation which represents the farmer unions, said the modalities for repealing the three contentious laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) must be part of the agenda.
The Morcha further said the agenda should also include amendments to be made and notified in the Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020 to exclude farmers from its penal provisions.
Through the letter, the Morcha also formally accepted the government's invitation for the dialogue.
The letter also stated that withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 to protect the interests of farmers should also be part of the agenda.
The fifth round of talks was held on December 5, while the sixth round originally scheduled for December 9 was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough.
The government had, however, followed up Shah's meeting with a draft proposal sent to the unions in which it had suggested 7-8 amendments to the new laws and written assurance on the MSP procurement system. It has ruled out a repeal of the three agri laws.
In a letter to the farmer unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal on Monday invited them for the talks at 2 pm on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital.
The farmers had also written to the government on December 26 listing the agenda.
In the latest letter, the Morcha pointed out that in its December 26 communication to the government, it had mentioned "changes" by mistake instead of "withdrawal" in the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.
Farmer unions also deferred to Thursday their proposed tractor march against the contentious agriculture laws, so that the rally does not clash with their talks with the government.
Thousands of protesting farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri -- for the past 31 days, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP.
The Congress demanded legal sanctity to the demands of farmers including that on ensuring the MSP.
Addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Govind Dotasra said the government must immediately repeal the three farm laws and bring fresh ones after incorporating the demands of farmers and then get them passed by Parliament.
Shukla also said it was wrong on the part of the government to dub the farmers agitation as political as it is an attempt to defame farmers.
NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, accused the Centre of bulldozing the farm laws without consulting states and asserted that agriculture cannot be run "sitting in Delhi" as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.
Pawar also raised questions about the composition of the three-member ministerial group negotiating with the unions, saying the ruling party should have put forward leaders with "in-depth" understanding of agriculture and farmers' issues.
In an interview, the former union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was "unfair" on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers.
He said the opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve the impasse.
The three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
22:47 December 30
National Farmers Federation spokesman Abhimanyu Kohar talks to ETV Bharat
National Farmers Federation spokesman Abhimanyu Kohar talks to ETV Bharat on the sixth round of talks between the farmers and the govt.
20:40 December 30
Daughter of a farmer celebrates her birthday at Ghazipur border (UP-Delhi) border where farmers are protesting against the new agriculture laws.
20:22 December 30
There's still a deadlock over 3 farm laws being scrapped. We couldn't reach a consensus with them on MSP. On issue of stubble burning, govt agreed to exclude farmers from fine. On electricity issue, govt has taken back Power Bill 2020: Krantikari Kisan Union President Darshan Pal
20:21 December 30
Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)
Issues related to stubble burning & electricity were sorted in today's meeting. 2 of our main issues still need to be resolved. We'll discuss topics related to MSP & repealing of 3 Farm laws in the next meeting on 4th Jan: Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU)
19:29 December 30
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on 6th round of talks with farmers' unions at Vigyan Bhawan
Today's talks were held in a very good environment & it concluded on a positive note. Consensus on 2 out of 4 issues was reached between both sides: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on 6th round of talks with farmers' unions at Vigyan Bhawan
19:16 December 30
According to sources, the govt has agreed on farmers' demand to amend provision of heavy penalty and prison on stubble burning. The government has also assured to look into the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.
Sources said that the ministers are not talking on the modalities to repeal the three Farm Laws, hinting that the laws will continue. Further, the govt has agreed to only give a written assurance on MSP. No law has been guaranteed on the MSP.
The deadlock is unlikely to end as officers are trying to convince farmers by talking to them separately but farmers adamant on their demands, sources revealed.
17:34 December 30
The sixth round of meeting between farmer leaders and the government concludes.
The next meeting will take place on January 4.
16:45 December 30
Delhi: A 'Kar Sewa' tempo, carrying food for farmers delegation, seen at Vigyan Bhawan.
Sixth-round of talks over Farm Laws between Centre and farmer unions is currently underway.
16:41 December 30
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal & Narendra Singh Tomar having food with farmers leaders
Delhi: Union Ministers Piyush Goyal & Narendra Singh Tomar having food with farmers leaders during the lunch break at Vigyan Bhawan where the govt is holding talks with farmers on three farm laws.
15:18 December 30
Delhi: Meeting between Union Government and farmer leaders over three farm laws underway at Vigyan Bhawan. Farmer leaders demand justice and compensation for the families of the farmers who died during the protest.
14:24 December 30
Narendra Singh Tomar arrives at Vigyan Bhawan
Narendra Singh Tomar arrives at Vigyan Bhawan
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar arrives at Vigyan Bhawan ahead of the sixth round of talks with farmers.
14:15 December 30
3 Union Ministers to hold talks with 40 farmer leaders
Three Union Ministers will hold talks with 40 farmer leaders here on Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to find a solution to the demands of the farmers.
Farmer leaders left Singhu border for Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, where the sixth round of talks between the two sides was slated to begin at 2 pm.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash would represent the Centre at the talks, where Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal and other Ministry officials would also be present.
On December 5, the fifth round of talks were held between the 40 farmer leaders and the three Union Ministers but faced a deadlock as farmers were adamant on their demand for the repeal of the three new central farm laws.
13:49 December 30
Rakesh Tikait leaves for Vigyan Bawan
Rakesh Tikait leaves for Vigyan Bhawan
Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, who is a part of the delegation holding talks with the Union Government over farm laws, leaves for Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi from Ghazipur border (UP-Delhi border) for today's talks between farmers and government
13:05 December 30
Vigyan Bhawan
A delegation of 40 farmer leaders reached Vigyan Bhawan to hold sixth round of talks with the government.
Earlier, addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Govind Dotasra said the government must immediately repeal the three farm laws and bring fresh ones after incorporating the demands of farmers and then get them passed by Parliament.
Shukla also said it was wrong on the part of the government to dub the farmers agitation as political as it is an attempt to defame farmers.
NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, accused the Centre of bulldozing the farm laws without consulting states and asserted that agriculture cannot be run "sitting in Delhi" as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.
Pawar also raised questions about the composition of the three-member ministerial group negotiating with the unions, saying the ruling party should have put forward leaders with "in-depth" understanding of agriculture and farmers' issues.
In an interview, the former union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was "unfair" on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers.
He said the opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve the impasse.
The three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
12:28 December 30
Farmer leaders leave for Vigyan Bhawan for talks with government
A delegation of farmers leaders leave Singhu border to hold talks with Centre over three farm laws Union Government will hold sixth round of talks with the protesting farmers today.
12:20 December 30
Meet the family whose three generations are protesting at Singhu border
Meet the family whose three generations are protesting at Singhu border
Three generations of a family are protesting against the farm laws at the Singhu border.
When the family reached Delhi for the protest on the night of 26 and 27 November, they were taken into custody by the police, including the youngest member of their family, who is 12 years old.
Gursimran Singh along with his father Ravindra Singh and grandfather Pyara Singh remained in detention near Karol Bagh in Delhi for 16 hours and told ETV Bharat what the police station experience was like at this age.
Another member of the same family, Dr. Mahendra Singh Banwet is also part of the protest.
Dr. Mahendra Singh, 75, has served in the field of education for nearly 40 years and is now a farmer.
Not only children and elders but also women from this family are participating in the protest, who believe that this agrarian movement has connected not only families but also 2 states and Punjab's relations with Haryana became closer than before.
Till 1966, Punjab and Haryana were one, but in 1966, Punjab was declared a separate state and Haryana a separate state, after which a dispute was deepened in both the states over the water of Sutlej Yamuna which is still in the Supreme Court.
After this peasant struggle, the relations between the farmers of the two states has improved and the farmers of Haryana are supporting the farmers of Punjab in the struggle.
10:53 December 30
Five rounds of talks between farmers and govt have taken place. We don't think we will reach a solution even today. The three farm laws should be repealed: Sukhwinder Singh Sabra, Joint Secy, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab ahead of the sixth round of talks with govt
10:52 December 30
It's essential to have strong opposition in the country whom the govt fears but here they don't. This is why farmers had to come on roads. Opposition should sit in pitched tents& stage protest on roads against the farm laws: Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union at Ghazipur border
10:52 December 30
We hope that the talks will be decisive. Talks will be held on all issues including MSP with an open heart. I hope that farmers' agitation ends today: Som Prakash, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry on govt-farmers' talks today
10:32 December 30
No hope for any development
Ahead of the sixth round of talks between the Centre and the farmers over the three farm laws, various farmer leaders said that they are not hopeful of any positive development today.
In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Baldev Singh Sirsa, a member of the core committee of the United Kisan Morcha and farmer leader said that on one hand the government has been making all efforts to discredit the movement and on the other hand has been writing letters and calling for talks.
The government wants to run away from the agenda which is our agenda, and we want to pursue the dialogue within that agenda itself. If this happens, it will be on the same agenda that we have given to the government in our letter.
He also said that we started a peaceful protest and want to continue it as such.
The farmers' organization had appealed for Boycott of Jio, but we never said that the towers or other equipment of any telecom company should be damaged. We are not aware of whoever is doing this kind of work, but we appeal to them not to do such work if it is in the interest of the farmer.
The incidents which have taken place cannot be changed, but no further harm should be done to anyone and no connection should be cut. This topic was also discussed in the meeting of farmer leaders and everyone has said that these incidents should not happen.
The representative of the Peasant Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee of Punjab, c, has also objected to the damage to the telecom tower, saying that harassing anyone is not part of the movement. We only called for Boycott. This is also the order of our top leadership that no force should be taken and the movement should be conducted in a peaceful manner.
Any incidents that have come out of Punjab are not part of our movement.
07:37 December 30
Protest to continue till demands are met
Protest to continue till demands are met
In an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikat said that the protest of the farmers will continue till the demands are met. He added that if the demands are not met, the farmers will unfurl the Tricolour on January 26 marching on tractors.
06:22 December 30
Centre, farmer unions to resume stalled talks today
New Delhi: The Centre and the protesting farmer unions will resume stalled talks on Wednesday with the latter sticking to their hardline position that the parleys will only be on the modalities of repealing the three new Agri laws and giving a legal guarantee on the MSP among other issues.
Ahead of the crucial sixth round of talks after a three-week hiatus, Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal on Tuesday met senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah. Sources said they discussed and finalised the government's position for the meeting.
Tomar, the Minister for Agriculture, and Goyal, the Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs, and MoS Commerce and Industry Som Parkash have been representing the Centre at the talks with the farmers. Tomar on Monday said he is hopeful of an early solution to the impasse.
The Centre on Monday invited the 40 protesting farmer unions for the next round of talks on December 30 on all relevant issues to find a "logical solution" with "open mind" to the prolonged impasse over the three new Agri laws that were enacted in September.
But in its letter on Tuesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation which represents the farmer unions, said the modalities for repealing the three contentious laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) must be part of the agenda.
The Morcha further said the agenda should also include amendments to be made and notified in the Commission for the Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, 2020 to exclude farmers from its penal provisions.
Through the letter, the Morcha also formally accepted the government's invitation for the dialogue.
The letter also stated that withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020 to protect the interests of farmers should also be part of the agenda.
The fifth round of talks was held on December 5, while the sixth round originally scheduled for December 9 was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough.
The government had, however, followed up Shah's meeting with a draft proposal sent to the unions in which it had suggested 7-8 amendments to the new laws and written assurance on the MSP procurement system. It has ruled out a repeal of the three agri laws.
In a letter to the farmer unions, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Aggarwal on Monday invited them for the talks at 2 pm on Wednesday at Vigyan Bhavan in the national capital.
The farmers had also written to the government on December 26 listing the agenda.
In the latest letter, the Morcha pointed out that in its December 26 communication to the government, it had mentioned "changes" by mistake instead of "withdrawal" in the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020.
Farmer unions also deferred to Thursday their proposed tractor march against the contentious agriculture laws, so that the rally does not clash with their talks with the government.
Thousands of protesting farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping at three Delhi border points -- Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri -- for the past 31 days, demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and legal guarantee for MSP.
The Congress demanded legal sanctity to the demands of farmers including that on ensuring the MSP.
Addressing a joint press conference, Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Govind Dotasra said the government must immediately repeal the three farm laws and bring fresh ones after incorporating the demands of farmers and then get them passed by Parliament.
Shukla also said it was wrong on the part of the government to dub the farmers agitation as political as it is an attempt to defame farmers.
NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, meanwhile, accused the Centre of bulldozing the farm laws without consulting states and asserted that agriculture cannot be run "sitting in Delhi" as it involves farmers toiling in distant villages.
Pawar also raised questions about the composition of the three-member ministerial group negotiating with the unions, saying the ruling party should have put forward leaders with "in-depth" understanding of agriculture and farmers' issues.
In an interview, the former union minister said the government needs to take the protests seriously and it was "unfair" on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to blame opposition parties for the agitation by farmers.
He said the opposition parties will take a call on their future course of action on Wednesday if the government fails to resolve the impasse.
The three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of the MSP and do away with the "mandi" (wholesale market) system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
Last Updated : Dec 31, 2020, 7:50 AM IST
