Farmer protests live update: Seventh round meeting between protesting farmers and representatives of central government failed to resolve deadlock against three agricultural laws. The government has been adamant on not repealing the controversial laws and is believed to have suggested a panel to pursue the matter. Farmer groups too remained adamant on their demand to repeal the Acts.
Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, who was attending the meeting, told that “Our demand is to repeal the laws. We will not agree to any option like the formation of the committee.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Prakash, who are MPs from Punjab, are present in the meeting with representatives of 40 farmer unions.
Representatives of the protesting farmers had their own food, arranged from the langar, as they have been doing for some time. However, unlike the final round of talks on 30 December, the ministers did not include union leaders for the meal and were being discussed separately during the break, which lasted more than an hour and a half.
Farmers had earlier threatened to intensify the protest by closing malls and petrol pumps when the Center failed to hold talks today. “Our demands are the same. Farm laws should be repealed. Both amendments need to be brought back and the government should listen. Our movement will continue, ”said Jagir Singh Dalewal, a member of Bharat Kisan Union. If Monday’s talks with the Center fail, they also threatened to close the mall and petrol pumps.