New Delhi Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday that the Center is not talking informally with farmers. He termed more barricades at the site of the agitation and suspension of the Internet as a law and order issue related to local administration. The final and 11th round of meetings between the government and 41 protesting unions, held on 22 January, were inconclusive. The central government had asked the farmer unions to reconsider the government’s proposal to suspend the new agricultural laws for 18 months. Asked when the government would convene the next round of talks with the peasant leaders and informally talk to the peasant unions, Tomar replied in the negative.
Farmer leaders should talk to the police commissioner about custody
Tomar said that we will inform when the formal talks take place. Farmer leaders will not talk to the government until the police and administration harass them and release the detained farmers, to which the agriculture minister said that the farmer leaders should talk to the Delhi Police Commissioner. I do not want to comment on the issue of law and order. it is not my business.
It should be known that in an all-party meeting, PM Modi also said that we have not reached a consensus, but we are giving you (farmers) a proposal. He will also be present on the phone for them at any time. Farmer leaders just have to make a call to the Agriculture Minister to resume the conversation. The proposal is still in place for farmer organizations, under which it was said that the government is ready to stop the implementation of agricultural laws for a year and a half. In the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on Sunday, PM Modi expressed grief over the violence and incident of Red Fort during the tractor rally on 26 January in Delhi. He said that he was saddened by the insult of the tricolor.
Joint Kisan Morcha issued a statement
Since the January 22 talks, there has been no meeting between the farmer leaders and the Center to discuss agricultural laws. However, the government reiterated that the doors are open for dialogue with farmers and they should consider the government’s proposal. The United Kisan Morcha, protesting against the repeal of the Agricultural Law, issued a statement saying that no formal dialogue could be held with the government until various persecution against the farmers’ movement by the police and administration.
