Farmers' protests: PM Modi to meet farmers in Kutch today; key highlights
Farmers' protests: PM Modi to meet farmers in Kutch today; key highlights
Farmers protests update: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet farmers in Kutch during his day-long visit to Gujarat on Tuesday
Kisan andolan: Ongoing farmers agitations have led to losses worth Rs 3 crore per day in Punjab's toll revenue, according to Union Transport Ministry
BusinessToday.In
Dec 15, 2020,
Updated Dec 15, 2020, 9:53 AM IST
As farmers' protests in Delhi enter the 20th day, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Singh Takait has said Monday's hunger strike and demonstrations were successful and farmers will not go back.
Commuters are advised to take alternate routes via Lampur, Safiabad and Singhu school toll tax borders as Singhu border, Mangesh border, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari and Sabholi continue to remain closed.
Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road as well and commuters have been advised to avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road and NH-44.
Key developments in farmers protests:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet farmers in Kutch during his day-long visit to Gujarat on Tuesday. A group of Sikh farmers, settled in border areas, has also been invited for this interaction by the state government.
Congress MP and former Minister of State (MoS) Agriculture Akhilesh Prasad Singh urged the government to repeal the three farm laws and put an end to the ongoing deadlock between the Centre and farmers. "When the bills were passed, we repeatedly said do not pass them, it will harm farmers, they will be agitated. That situation is being witnessed today," News agency ANI quoted Singh as saying.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a statement, "The alarming crisis following the passage of three anti-farmer Acts would not have arisen if the government had followed a federal approach through consultation, conciliation and consensus." He added the deadlock between farmers and the Centre "cannot be delinked from the dictatorial tendencies in the country".
Social activist Anna Hazare, who spearheaded the Lokpal Bill movement in 2011, has written to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and warned of "resumption of hunger strike" against the Centre's failure to implement the MS Swaminathan Commission report recommendations.
Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, the farmers union heading the farmers' protests in Delhi against the newly passed farm laws, has issued an apology letter to the public for blocking roads amid the agitations.
Amid the continuing agitations, a delegation of Punjab BJP leaders met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence. The delegation, which included leaders like Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, Union Minister Som Prakash and state party leaders like Surjit Jyani and Harjeet Grewal, apprised Singh of the ground situation in the state.
Ongoing farmers agitations have led to losses worth Rs 3 crore per day in Punjab's toll revenue, according to Union Transport Ministry. Protesting farmers have held back the collection of toll fee, thus, the increasing losses.
For commuters travelling from Ghaziabad to Delhi, the Ghazipur border has been closed due to farmers' agitation. People are advised to travel using alternate routes via Anand Vihar, DND, Chilla, Apsara and Bhopra borders for travelling to Delhi.
Reliance Jio has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to take action against Vi (earlier known as Vodafone Idea) and Bharti Airtel for allegedly spreading "frivolous rumours" that the former will gain from the newly passed agricultural bills. Vi and Bharti Airtel have called these charges "baseless".
The Nooran sisters, known for the track Patakha Guddi from Imtiaz Ali's Highway, visited the Singhu border to extend their support to the protesting farmers. The singer-duo also got on stage to perform for the farmers.