Farmers ‘Chalo Dilli’ march Live Updates: The agitating farmer leaders have decided to resume the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Wednesday, February 21, after they rejected the Centre’s five-year proposal of procuring five crops at MSP for the next five years.
The farmers rejected the proposal on Monday saying it wasn’t in farmers’ interest and stated they will march towards the national capital on Wednesday. The protesting farmers are demanding a legal guarantee of MSP for crops besides other demands and began their agitation on February 13. However, they were stopped by the police and are presently camping at Shambhu and Khanauri points of Punjab-Haryana border.
To bring an end to the farmers’ protest, Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Nityanand Rai and Arjun Munda met the farmer leaders in Chandigarh on Sunday for a meeting that went on for over four hours. During the discussion, the Centre proposed to them that the government agencies will buy pulses, maize and cotton crops at minimum support prices for the next five years.
Farmers Protest Day 8 Live Updates: Farmers reject Centre's proposal. To resume 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 21. Follow Financial Express for all the latest updates.
On farmers' protest demanding MSP law, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Gopal Rai said, "...If the government wants to make India a developed nation, it can't be done without increasing the income of farmers. The govt should take a decision on this soon."
On Tuesday, former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said he held a "detailed meeting" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on wide-ranging issues related to Punjab, including the issues concerning the farmers.
https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder/status/1759808779183337632
As the farmers announced that they will resume the 'Delhi Chalo' march on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi claimed that ever since the Congress resolved to provide a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), "Modi's propaganda machinery and media friendly to him have spread a barrage of lies on MSP".
"Lie -- It is not feasible to provide legal guarantee for MSP in the budget of the government of India. Fact -- According to CRISIL, giving MSP to farmers in 2022-23 would have resulted in an additional burden of ₹21,000 crore on the government, which is only 0.4 per cent of the total budget," Gandhi said in his post.
"Those who are spreading confusion on MSP are insulting Dr Swaminathan and his dreams. With the guarantee of MSP, Indian farmers will not be a burden on the budget but will become the drivers of GDP growth," Gandhi said on X.
A 72-year-old farmer, protesting at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border, succumbed to a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening.
The deceased farmer, identified as Manjeet Singh of Patiala, was a unit president of BKU (Krantikari). The farmer was brought to the Patran Health Centre at around 7.30pm. “We suspected that the farmer may have suffered a massive heart attack. He was unconscious when he reached here. We referred the farmer to Rajindra Hospital,” said a senior doctor at the Health Centre. The farmer was declared brought dead at Rajindra hospital, Hindustan Times reported.
On Monday, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the driving force behind the 2020-21 farmers' stir, rebuffed the government's proposal, asserting that it sought to "divert and dilute'' the farmers' demand for MSP. They declared their unwavering commitment to nothing less than the 'C-2 plus 50 per cent' formula for MSP, as recommended in the Swaminathan Commission report.
On Monday, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the 'Delhi Chalo' march will resume on Wednesday at 11 am after the farmers rejected the Centre's five-year plan on MSP for five crops.
"We appeal to the government that either resolve our issues or remove the barricades and allow us to proceed to Delhi to protest peacefully," Pandher said.
"We will move to Delhi peacefully at 11 am on February 21," he said.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the farmers' protest, asserting that his guarantee was not for farmers, labourers, Dalits and tribals. He alleged that it was for "two to three rich people who are his friends".
He also said that Congress has promised the country's farmers that it will bring a law that will guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
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While talking to the media after the fourth meeting with the agitating farmers, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said the panel has proposed the buying of pulses, maize, and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers.
"There will be no limit on the quantity (purchased) and a portal will be developed for this," he added.
"It will save Punjab's farming, improve the groundwater table, and save the land from getting barren which is already under stress," Piyush Goyal added.
On the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said, "Last time when the farmers protested, they had the same demands and the BJP made the same promises. Are they terrorists? They are our citizens. Tear gas, water cannon, barricades, what is all of this?... If they stop farming, what will we do?... Piyush Goyal said that will give MSP on only 5 crops, what will the rest of the farmers do?..."
As the Centre proposed the buying of pulses, maize, and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices (MSP) for five years to the farmers, during the fourth round of talks on Sunday, Union Minister Piyush Goyal called it "innovative" and "out-of-the-box idea".
Post the fourth round of talks, the ball is now in the farmers’ court as the Centre proposed the government’s intention to purchase pulses, maize, and cotton crops from farmers at minimum support prices (MSP) for five years through contractual agreements.
Following this development, the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march was put on hold but may resume on February 21 if issues are not resolved by Tuesday, as reported by PTI.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, while talking about the ongoing 'Delhi Chalo' march by the protesting farmers, said that the protest was on "standby" until February 21 at 11 am.
"Our decision to go to Delhi is on standby. On February 21 at 11 am, we will move forward peacefully. Till then, we will try to present our points in front of the Centre," Pandher said. (ANI)
A panel of three Union ministers on Sunday proposed the buying of pulses, maize, and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers. The farmer leaders temporarily halted the march on Sunday and said they will discuss the government's proposal in their forums over the next two days. However, they have now rejected the proposal.