- Sunday, April 28, 2024
A senior leader said agriculture minister Arjun Munda gave the agitators a fresh proposal for talks and that the Narendra Modi government has done much for the farming community.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’S ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday (21) said the country’s agriculture minister Arjun Munda has come up with a fresh proposal for a dialogue with the protesting farmers and appealed to them to arrive at a solution to the ongoing crisis “peacefully”.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, MP and former federal minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Narendra Modi government has done “so much work” for the farmers.
“Today also, Arjun Munda has promised a discussion (with the protesting farmers). Any solution (to their issues) will come out from dialogue and discussions. The government is open to discussions with the farmers,” he said.
“We appeal that the solution should come out peacefully,” he added.
Read: India offers protesting farmers support prices on corn, cotton, pulses
“Our government has done so much work for farmers. Farmers’ progress is our priority and would continue to remain so,” the leader said.
Farmers protesting at two border points between the northern states of Punjab and Haryana were set to resume their “Delhi Chalo” (March towards Delhi) programme on Wednesday after they rejected the Modi government’s proposal earlier this week for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at a minimum support price (MSP) by government agencies for five years.
Read: India farmers protest: Our government working on beneficial schemes, says Modi
Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Wednesday said the protesting farmers camping at the border points between Punjab and Haryana will march towards Delhi in a peaceful manner.
“Our intention is not to disturb peace,” he said, ahead of the farmers’ planned march towards the national capital.
Accusing the BJP-led Centre of indulging in “delaying tactics” over the farmers’ demands, Dallewal asked the government to take a decision in their favour.
He also condemned the federal government for setting up multi-layered barricades at the border points between Punjab and Haryana to prevent them from heading towards Delhi.
“It is our request that we want to go to Delhi in a peaceful manner. The government should remove the barricades and give us the permission to march towards Delhi and make arrangements for our sitting in Delhi,” Dallewal told reporters at the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana.
He also criticised the government for not making a statement on enacting a law on the MSP for crops.
Asked whether the farmers will use excavators or JCB machines for forcing their way to Delhi, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “We will not use machines. If excavators are brought, we will stop them.”
Replying to a question, Dallewal said they have not received any fresh invite for talks. Pandher said they had requested the Centre with folded hands to resolve the farmers’ demands.
“Discussions took place on each demand and now is the time for taking decisions,” he said while referring to the farmers’ four rounds of talks with a panel of three Union ministers. “If the Centre comes forward and says it is ready to enact a law on the MSP, then things can move,” Pandher said. “We should be allowed to march towards Delhi for holding a peaceful protest,” he added. Dallewal asked the protesting farmers to remain peaceful and not to indulge in violence.
Thousands of farmers, who began their march to Delhi last Tuesday (13), were stopped at the Punjab-Haryana border, where they clashed with security personnel. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the “Delhi Chalo” march to press the Modi government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops and farm loan waiver.
(With PTI inputs)
