New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the first talk today with the protesting farmers who have been campaigning at Delhi’s borders for six days now. Thirty six farms union will be attending this meeting after accepting the centre’s invitation for talks regarding the ongoing protests against farmer laws.
Sources said Rajnath singh met Home Minister Amit Shah, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP chief JP Nadda this morning. This is the second meeting between top BJP leaders in less than 48 hours amid massive protests against contentious farm laws.
The meeting which was scheduled for 3 pm today is about to begin as farmer leaders reached Vidhya Bhavan in the national capital to meet agricultural minister.
In the third round of talks with the farmers today, the government is likely to assure them about the new agricultural laws, and dispel rumours over the minimum support price. The laws will not be repealed, the protesters are likely to be told.
Three days ahead of the scheduled meet, Tomar on Monday invited the farmers for talks today at 3 pm, as he cited coronavirus and cold. “On November 13, we had decided we will meet on December 3, but farmers are in a mood to protest. We request you to leave the protest and find a solution through talks,” he said. Tomar has met Amit Shah thrice in two days, sources say, after farmers threatened to block Delhi.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra defended farm laws on Monday again as he said: “New laws don’t stop old system. If someone thinks that the earlier system is better, how is this law stopping anyone?” He reassured farmers that the new open market system will not mean the end to the traditional mandis and the MSP.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister in his monthly radio address- “Mann Ki Baat” – had said that the centre’s new laws have “opened more opportunities” for the farmers, and have fulfilled their long-pending demands