Affirming that the right to protest is part of a fundamental right, the Supreme Court on Thursday 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. As the top court in its bid to break the deadlock between the Centre and the farmers even mooted the idea of putting the three contentious farm laws on hold for their talks to continue, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar issued an 8-page open letter to farmers saying the Centre is ready to address all their concerns.
The Centre opposed the suggestion made by the court with Attorney General K K Venugopal saying the farmers would then not come forward for the negotiations. The government’s top law officer, however, told the bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde that he would get back after taking instructions on keeping on hold implementation of the laws.
Here are the highlights from the farmers' protest from today:
The (AIKS) on Friday said the issue of the ongoing farmers' protests against three new farm laws needs to be resolved by the government and not the Supreme Court. The AIKS, a key member of the "Samyukta Kisan Morcha" that is spearheading the "Dilli Chalo" agitation against the three farm laws, asserted that no farmer organisation approached the court in the first place and asked for its intervention in the matter.
"The issue needs to be resolved by the Centre and not the Supreme Court. The court order has also said the same categorically. We have not approached the court because of this understanding that it is a struggle by the farmers against a government policy and the executive has to resolve the crisis," senior AIKS leader P Krishnaprasad said. The farmers' agitation should be allowed to continue "without impediments" and the court will not "interfere" with it as the right to protest is a fundamental right, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while hearing a bunch of petitions against the ongoing stir at Delhi's borders.
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stoutly defended the new farm laws, saying they were in the works for decades and those who are opposing these laws now for gaining lost political ground were once votaries of the same reforms. The opposition parties were against the new laws as they were upset that he would get the credit, Modi said, adding that he did not seek any credit but nobody should mislead farmers. Accusations such as the new laws will lead to the scrapping of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops were blatant lies, the prime minister said, addressing farmers of Madhya Pradesh through virtual mode. The government was willing to hold talks with farmers, the prime minister said, as the agitation against the new farm laws at Delhi's borders entered its 23rd day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that his government was willing to address concerns of tens of thousands of farmers who are blocking key highways in a protest against new agricultural reform laws, but rejected their demand that the legislation be repealed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused opposition parties of spreading fear that the three laws approved by Parliament in September would drive down crop prices and lead to farmers exploitation by corporations. If anyone has any concerns, then with our heads bowed, our hands folded, with humility, we are willing to allay their fears by discussing contentious issues, Modi said in a speech to a group of farmers supporting the legislation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked that Congress on Friday and reassured farmers that MSP will not be scrapped. "I assure farmers that MSP regime will continue; it will not be scrapped, opposition is lying on MSP issue, says PM Modi.
"I request all political parties with folded hands, please keep all the credit. I am giving credit to all your old election manifestos. I just want ease in the life of farmers, I want their progress and want modernity in agriculture," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing farmers at the 'Kisan Kalyan' event in Raisen via video conference. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that even as formal talks to end the agitation by farmers against the farm laws remain in a deadlock, the government is holding informal discussions with various groups to end the stalemate, but there was no point talking to those "shooting from peasants' shoulders".
The All India Kisan Sabha has said that it will join the farmers protesting in Delhi against the new farm laws. Leaders of the sabha told reporters in Nashik on Friday that they would join the farmers in their agitation against the three farm laws.
Union ministers Smriti Irani and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi slammed Opposition parties on Friday for criticising the farm laws and misguiding farmers. Irani said, "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 years of their tenure. What did they do when they were the ruling party?" she said, at a farmer meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.
Meanwhile, Minority Affairs Minister Naqvi lashed out at the Opposition alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was "posing" as a farmers' leader despite having an knowledge about farming. He said that the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was "karne mein zero, dharne mein hero (zero in work, but hero in sit-ins)".
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday asked the central government to focus on resolving its standoff with farmers over three farm laws and keep other issues on hold. He claimed that be it the judiciary or bureaucracy, all are functioning under pressure from the Centre. Addressing a state-level function to mark the second anniversary of his dispensation, Gehlot alleged that government agencies like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax department were being misused. "A list is sent from the PMO where a raid has to be conducted. The situation is serious and democracy is under threat," the senior Congress leader claimed.
"The home minister (Amit Shah) is becoming Sardar Patel," he said, referring to the powerful home minister in the Jawaharlal Nehru government. Gehlot pointed out that three bills passed by the Rajasthan Assembly to counter the Centre's farm laws were still pending with the governor.
Union minister Parshottam Rupala 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 laws get 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. The BJP leader from Gujarat was addressing a Kisan Sammelan (farmers' convention) in Vijapur town of Mehsana district as part of the ruling BJP's campaign in the state to make people aware about the three farm laws being opposed by a section of farmers and their organisations. "If you like the old system, then no one will stop you from selling your farm produce in the APMC. But, why do you want to stop others who want to earn more by selling outside the APMCs? "Similarly, no one is forcing farmers to enter into a contract, let alone the misplaced apprehension that traders will grab your land after inking the contract," Rupala added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked that Congress on Friday and said that the Opposition had ignored farmers for years. Addressing the 'Kisan Kalyan event' in Madhya Pradesh, Modi said that "two years ago, the party had promised farmers that they will lay off their debt, but those promises were not met...but no protest was held then...the party ignore farmers in the country." He urged political parties to 'keep all the credit for their old election manifestos' which had reportedly promised agriculture sector reforms. He called on the Opposition to stop misguiding farmers over the new farm laws.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday said if the Centre replicates the farm policy of his government, the ongoing farmers' agitation outside Delhi against new agrimarketing laws would be called off in a day. Addressing a function at Chandkhuri village in Raipur district to mark the completion of two years of the Congress government, Baghel said Chhattisgarh, which was earlier infamous for Left Wing Extremism (LWE), is now known for prosperous farmers and its rich culture.
A debt-ridden businessman, who changed his appearance and joined the ongoing farmers' protests at one of the Delhi border points to escape moneylenders, was traced by police on Thursday. Praveen, a resident of Murad Nagar town, had left his house on December 1 but did not return, police said. He was found at the GhazipurGhaziabad (Uttar Pradesh gate) border.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta slammed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who tore the copies of three farm laws in the Assembly on Thursday, saying it was a "political stunt" and "gimmick" in view of Punjab politics. Kejriwal assailed the BJPruled Centre over the recent farm laws during a special session of the Delhi Assembly and tore the copies of the three legislations, saying he cannot betray the farmers. Gupta said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief converted constitutional dignity into a "gimmick" by tearing the copies of the farm laws in the Assembly.
Amid the ongoing farmers' protest against the new farm laws, yet another farmer grouping FIFA on Thursday met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and extended support for the legislations. The Federation of Indian FPOs and Aggregators (FIFA) is the sixth group of farmers that has extended support for the laws in the last two weeks. The previous groups were from Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar through his letter to farmers has made an effort to engage in a humble dialogue, and appealed to the 'annadaatas' to read it. Tomar, in an eight-page open letter to farmers, said the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and stressed that the new agri laws are aimed at benefiting small and marginal farmers.
First Published: IST