Farmers’ Protest Live Latest News: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said on Friday that there won’t be any road block in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi. He said the decision has been taken in view of keeping some farmers on standby if needed tomorrow. The farmer unions have called for chakka jam tomorrow between 12pm to 3pm. He urged farmers across the nation to block roads wherever they are. On the other hand, authorities are also gearing up for the proposed chakka jam call and adequate security arrangements will be put in place.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today said that the NDA government and PM Narendra Modi is committed to welfare of farmers. He said that the new farm laws are aimed at boosting their income and increasing their contribution in the GDP. Despite the rain and chilling cold, the farmers’ protest has entered its 70th day with Delhi borders abuzz with political activities. While Samyukta Kisan Morcha has said the ongoing agitation has been and will remain apolitical and no political leader is allowed to speak from its stage, opposition leaders have been making a beeline at the border to meet the farm leaders and express their solidarity with them. Yesterday, a group of some opposition MPs reached Ghazipur to meet farmers but returned after being stopped by the police. They later wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker complaining about it. Meanwhile, Rashtriya Lok Dal’s series of farmer panchayats, which will take place in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, has begun today over the protest against new agriculture laws.
On the other hand, Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government yesterday issued a notice ordering withdrawal of DTC buses on special hire to various departments including those being used by security personnel with immediate effect. While BJP leaders attacked the AAP over the decision, the ruling party in Delhi has not responded over the issue. Meanwhile, amid all the hue and cry over Rihana and Greta Thunberg’s tweet, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that though he doesn’t know who these people are, he welcomes the international support extended to their cause.
The government on Friday strongly defended the farm laws in Rajya Sabha and said its offer to amend them should not be viewed as if they had any flaws, even as the Opposition demanded that the legislations be repealed and fresh ones brought after consultations. The government also launched a fierce attack on the Congress and other Opposition parties for trying to instigate the farmers with wrong information. Intervening in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar alleged that farmers were being misled by the Opposition and the agitation was only in one state. As many as 50 speakers from 25 political parties participated in the debate in Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks lasting over three days. While 18 members of the BJP took part in the discussion, seven Congress MPs and 25 from other Opposition parties also spoke. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the motion on Monday after Question Hour. (PTI)
Lok Sabha proceedings were a virtual washout on Friday as relentless protest by Opposition members against the Centre's three farm laws continued for the fourth consecutive day, even as signs emerged that normal functioning could resume from Monday. The government has always been ready for discussion and we are hopeful that Lok Sabha will function smoothly from Monday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said. On February 3, Locket Chatterjee of the BJP had initiated the discussion on the Motion of Thanks but she could not complete her speech due to disruptions. She has not yet resumed her speech. (PTI)
The Delhi Police has informed about death of two persons and one suicide case during the farmers' protest against the three farm laws, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Friday. To a query in Rajya Sabha whether the government would provide financial assistance from the Kisan Kalyan Fund to the families of the deceased farmers, he answered in the negative. "There is no specific information available about the death of farmers agitating in different states of the country. However, Delhi Police has informed about death of two persons and one suicide during the farmers' protest," Tomar said in a written reply to the House. (PTI)
The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party took out tractor rallies at district headquarters of Rajasthan on Friday in support of farmers agitating at Delhi's borders against the central agriculture laws. Leaders of the party, led by Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal, and workers participated in the rallies, which were held peacefully, an RLP spokesperson said. "The tractor rallies were taken out at district headquarters today. Nearly 200 tractors participated in the rally in Jaipur," the spokesperson said. (PTI)
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of the farmer unions protesting the three farm laws, on Friday said there would be no 'chakka jam' in Delhi on February 6 even as it asserted that peasants in other parts of the country will block national and state highways for three hours but in a peaceful way. In a statement, the SKM said emergency and essential services such as ambulance and school bus will not be stopped during the 'chakka jam' that is proposed to be held between 12 pm and 3 pm on Saturday. | READ MORE
No Chakka Jaam in Delhi-NCR, all roads leading inside Delhi to remain open except the ones where farmers' protest are already going on, says Samyukta Kisan Morcha as reported by ANI.
The 'Chakka Jam' on 6th February to last from 12-3 pm, all national & state highways across the country will be blocked. Emergency and essential services, like ambulance and school bus, will not be stopped. Chakka Jam will be peaceful: Samyukta Kisan Morcha (ANI)
Asserting that farmers will not settle for anything less than the repeal of the new farm laws, RLD vice president Jayant Chaudhary on Friday said the government's "strong arm tactics" will not work against the tillers and the nails being laid on roads for them would turn out to be the nails in the "political coffin" of the BJP. Chaudhary, who has participated in a number of 'kisaan panchayats' in western Uttar Pradesh and is campaigning aggressively against the Centre's farm laws, said the government must immediately withdraw the legislations and draft them afresh after taking the consent of farmers. (PTI)
What was the hurry to bring farm laws? Had govt sent bills to select committee for wider consultations, scenes around Delhi wouldn't have been witnessed: NCP MP Praful Patel in Rajya Sabha (PTI)
Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned till Monday as opposition members continue with protest over farm laws (PTI)
Congress party extends their support to the 'Chakka Jam' called by farmer unions on Saturday (ANI)
When you're ready to suspend farm laws for 1.5 years, what's stopping you (govt) to withdraw these Acts? asks BSP MP Satish Chandra Misra in Rajya Sabha (PTI)
Govt of India has proactively undertaken efforts on series of extension activities through webinars, online conferences, workshops, teleconferencing, social media and other media with stakeholders on Ordinances: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in written reply in Rajya Sabha (ANI)
Govt promulgated ordinances that were subsequently enacted into farm laws in 2020. Draft of ordinance was circulated to various Ministries/Depts for comments. States were consulted via video conferencing on May 21, 2020 attended by officials of 13 States/UTs: Union Agriculture Minister in Rajya Sabha (ANI)
Lok Sabha adjourned till Monday as the Opposition MPs continued their protest in the House against the Farm Laws and raised slogans that the three laws be repealed. (ANI)
Thousands of farmers turn up for 'kisan panchayat' held in Shamli district in western UP by RLD (PTI)
Defaming the farmers' agitation is not a good thing for the country & for all: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in Rajya Sabha. (PTI)
We are ready for talks, even offered to put farm laws in abeyance for 18 months. If we are showing so much flexibility, why don't protesting farmers show similar flexibility? asks BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe in Rajya Sabha (PTI)
Two Ministers held talks with farmers- One of them Narendra Singh Tomar ji is good person but he doesn't know anything about farming. And Piyush Goyal is spokesperson of corporate sector. I think farm laws were drafted in Mumbai and not in Delhi: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh (ANI)
So, I have told all the leaders of the parties as well as farmers that the Govt is ready for an open discussion. We have been talking to them. We have given them a proposal, we will talk with them again after their proposal comes: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar (ANI)
As far as Farm Laws are concerned, I was in Rajya Sabha today and I noticed that no one is ready to say what is black in the 'black laws'. If you are protesting against the law, then discussion should be held on its provisions. Unfortunately, this is not happening: Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar (ANI)
We do want a discussion but govt should say that there will be a stand-alone discussion on agriculture: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha (ANI)
Thousands of farmers turned up for a meeting in Shamli district in western Uttar Pradesh on Friday amid a growing clamour against the Centre's agri-marketing laws in the region. People from Shamli and nearby districts started reaching Shamli's Bhainswal village on tractors, two- and four-wheelers and on foot for a 'kisan panchayat' being held there by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). The people gathered there despite the Shamli administration denying permission for the meeting and imposing prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC. This is the fourth major farmers' meeting in western Uttar Pradesh after Muzaffarnagar, Mathura and Baghpat, besides some in Haryana, to support the ongoing stir against the farm laws. Scores of regional 'khap' leaders, Bharatiya Kisan Union members and RLD vice president Jayant Chaudhary, among others, attended the event, even as security personnel were deployed in large number in the area. "144 reasons why I will go to Shamli tomorrow," RLD's Chaudhary had tweeted on Thursday, tagging to it a news article on the denial of permission for the event and the imposition of prohibitory orders. The RLD has already extended support to the ongoing peasants' demonstrations at Delhi's borders and in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The party's farmer outreach programmes which began Friday in Shamli are further scheduled to be held in Amroha, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Mathura, Agra, Hathras, Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and a couple of them in Rajasthan during the February month. (PTI)
We've urged Govt for a separate discussion in Lok Sabha over farmers' agitation. All kinds of things are discussed in Motion of Thanks to President's Address. Our only demand is that separate discussion be held over farmers' issue after Motion of Thanks: AR Chowdhury, Congress MP (ANI)
Parliament is in session, 12 parties' leaders went to Ghazipur, but police didn't allow them to meet farmers. Is this democracy? asks Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa in Rajya Sabha (PTI)
Nails on roads will turn out to be nails in 'political coffin' of BJP: RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary (PTI)
RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary asserts that farmers won't settle for anything less than repeal of farm laws, says it's people's will that must prevail ultimately. (PTI)
Congress MP Pratap Singh Bajwa compares barricades at Farmers Protest sites with Berlin Wall; says govt giving Delhi borders 'shape of concentration camps'. (PTI)
There will be no road blockade in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand tomorrow; roads will be blocked in rest parts of the country excluding Delhi. The reason is that they can be called to Delhi any time, so they are kept on standby: Rakesh Tikait, Bharatiya Kisan Union
Our efforts are that farmers' incomes are doubled & contribution of agriculture to GDP increases rapidly. These agriculture laws are also an important step in this direction. I want to tell his House & farmers that PM Modi is committed towards welfare of farmers: Union Agri Min
I made it clear that if Govt is ready to make amendments, it doesn't mean there is any problem in farm laws. People in a particular state are misinformed: Union Agriculture Minister NS Tomar
Haryana ADGP (law & order) issues directives to SPs & Commissioners in view of farmers' proposed chakka jam tomorrow. "Maximum force shall be pulled out from non-operational duties. Intelligence network should be geared up and necessary preventive action may be taken," it reads.
Delhi Police are going to write to Google to get the IP address or the location from where the doc was made and uploaded on social media platform. This is being done to identify the authors of the toolkit which was shared on the Google Doc: Police sources
Delhi Police Commissioner is holding a meeting with senior police officials over the proposed chakka jam by agitating farmers tomorrow.
Punjab government representative in talks with Centre and farmers for early resolution