Kisan Kranti Yatra LIVE: Farmers Boo Agriculture Minister Off Stage After Govt Says 7 Out of 11 Demands Met

Akhilesh Yadav Extends Support to Protesting Farmers |  Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday extended his party's support to the farmers protesting under the aegis of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) in support of various demands ranging from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices.  'The farmers have come out in support of their various demands... If we look at things, in the past over four years, almost 50,000 farmers have committed suicide, mostly in BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh," Akhilesh said. "The BJP government had decided that a package will be prepared for clearing loan dues but it is still pending ... petrol, diesel prices are constantly being increased , demonetisation and GST have also hit farmers just like traders," he added.

"The plan to stay the night here and march towards Kisanghat tomorrow again is what has been told to everybody. However, this is not the final plan, but has been temporarily devised to satisfy farmers at the moment who were angry at the rally not reaching completion," told Tikait.

Union Minister for Agriculture GS Shekhawat said that after reaching on an agreement on some of the issues, the farmers have 'assured' him that the agitation will be called off:

We held discussions with representatives of Bharatiya Kisan Union last night. Another meeting was held at Home Minister's house this morning. In the end, we reached agreements on some issues & they assured us that the agitation will be called off: MoS Agriculture GS Shekhawat pic.twitter.com/ztAKPtpSwy

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018

Farmers to March Towards Kisanghat Tomorrow | National president of Bahujan Kisan Dal, Rakesh Tikait told reporters that some farmers will proceed to Kisanghat tomorrow and the rest will stay back. The protest will continue. "We want to meet Rajnath Singh. We want him to come here and talk to our people. Farmers will stay the night and attempt walking to Kisanghat again tomorrow," Tikait said.

'Shekhawat Made Fake Promises and Left' | Sugarcane farmers have alleged that the last payment received by the Govt was on 6 January, 2018 and since no payment has reached them. "We were forced to take loans because of no money. Now banks want the money back and we are yet to get payments. How do we pay? Where will the money come from? This dual problem was unaddressed by the Centre. Shekhawat just made fake promises and left. Are we expected to be satisfied with this? Also, apart from loan waiver the minister did not even mention anything about electricity bills. We will continue to protest," they said.

Illustration by Mir Suhail/News18:

Govt Didn't Clear Stand on Main Issue of Loan Waiver | Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Yudhvir Singh told ANI that the government didn't clear its stand on the main issue of the farmers - C2+50, which is why the farmers are unsatisfied. "It didn't clear its stand even on the other main issue of loan waiver. They said they will discuss it in detail,"Singh said

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the contrary, said that the NDA government has for the first time in history has taken care of the farmers' demand: 

For the first time since independence, farmers came into the agenda of a government which is evident from the work done by BJP govt in the past 4.5 years for farmers. BJP government led by PM Narendra Modi solved all the issues of the farmers: UP CM Yogi Adityanath pic.twitter.com/g8mPdKZyF7

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 2, 2018

Farmers Not Willing to Go Back | Largely dissatisfied with the government's new announcements to woo them, majority of the agitating farmers are not willing to retreat. Farmers want to still continue marching towards Kisanghat in New Delhi. Now, the leaders are yet to take a call on their next move ahead.

Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson Yudhvir Singh claimed that the Government agreed on 7 points but didn't agree on 4 points yet:

We had a discussion on 11 points. Govt agreed on 7 points but didn't agree on 4 points yet. They said they will have to think about those meetings in a further meeting after which they will tell us, as it is a financial matter: Yudhvir Singh, Bharatiya Kisan Union Spokesperson pic.twitter.com/t4PTedzW0U

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2018

Protesting Farmers Not Impressed with Govt's Promises | Shekhawat further also said that GST on products needed for agriculture, like sprinklers, has been reduced to 5 percent from 12 percent earlier. The minister also announced that Kisan Credit cards will be regularised with a ceiling on interest rates within 3 months. “MSP on Rabi crops will be implemented within three days, while rates on Kharif is yet to be decided. Dal and wheat will not be imported anymore. Rajnath Singh to meet all Kisan netas within one week. Special committee will also be there,” he said. But the announcements and promises failed to impress voters, who kept shouting “Nai (no)” during his speech and started waving after he stopped. They then booed him as he left the stage. 

Agitating Farmers Boo Agriculture Minister | Union minister of state for Agriculture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, was booed off the stage by the protesting farmers at the Delhi-UP border after he listed the steps the Centre has taken to alleviate their woes. Shekhawat said that the government is mindful of the concerns raised by farmers and will challenge the NGT decision to take diesel vehicles off roads after 10 years as it also includes tractors used in fields. 

Quick Recap |  Thousands of farmers on Tuesday marched towards Delhi over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices, blocking traffic movement on arterial roads leading to the national capital. National Highways leading to the national capital were swamped with farmers who came in from places as far as Gonda, Basti and Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh as well as the sugarcane belt of western Uttar Pradesh.The Kisan Kranti Yatra, which began from Tikait Ghat in Haridwar on September 23, was joined by farmers from various parts of Uttar Pradesh. Farmers came on foot, in buses and tractor trolleys carrying banners of Bhartiya Kisan Union, which gave the call for the march to press for a series of demands. 

Thousands of farmers allied with the Bhartiya Kisan Union are locked in a tense standoff at the UP-Delhi border with the police, trying to breach barricades to march towards the national capital. (Image: PTI)

Uttar Pradesh Cane Development Minister Suresh Rana says that Centre will challenge NGT decision in Supreme Court. The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) had ordered a ban on private and commercial diesel vehicles older than ten years, which has hit farmers’ interests. The ban on agricultural machines and vehicles that consume diesel effectively means that the majority of the burden will be borne by the farming community. The BKU has also called on the government to either set up a flagship fund to provide the farmers with monetary compensation to buy new tractors or scrap the NGT order.

The issues of immediate consideration of the government include lifting the National Green Tribunal's order to ban 10-year-old tractors, uniform and complete procurement of crops, uniformity in loan waiver in the country, equal electricity tariff in the country, farmers' friendly insurance scheme and equal pension to both farmers and agricultural labourers. Those who attended the meeting include Union minister of state for agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,Uttar Pradesh sugarcane minister Suresh Rana, Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Rajiv Jain and Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik.

Home Minister Rajnath held discussions with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and a few others on how to resolve the farmers' issues and pacify them. The development comes after farmers marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to cut in fuel prices, were stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border Tuesday with police using water cannons to disperse them. The home minister also spoke to chief of BKU Rakesh Tikait over phone and conveyed the government's keenness to address their demands.

As Uttar Pradesh Cane Development Minister Suresh Rana arrived at Delhi-UP border to meet the farmers along with Union agricultural minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, farmers raised slogans 'Suresh Rana wapas jao' (Suresh Rana go back). Shekhawat and Rana were accompanied by agriculture secretary and a PMO director.

"Peaceful and unarmed farmers going towards Raj Ghat were brutally treated, they were lathi charged and teargas shells fired on them.We condemn this," says JDU leader KC Tyagi.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat meet protesting farmers at Delhi-UP border during Kisan Kranti Padyatra.

Farmers from 15 States Present at Kisan Kranti Padyatra | Kisan delegation from Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Karnataka amongst others who are present at Kisan Kranti Padyatra. Close to 15 representatives from various states are participating.

A farmer dances as news of Centre accepting their demands spreads. Among the demands that have been accepted are a law on MSP, reduction of GST on agricultural goods (it will now be 5%), demands of sugarcane farmers to be met as soon as possible, setting up of an NGT committee and assurance to bring in changes in the bill in connection with insurance.

RLD chief and seven-term MP Ajit Singh, who had arrived at Delhi-UP border to meet the protesting farmers, was carried on the shoulders by crop growers in jubilation.

Rahul Gandhi on Police-Farmer Standoff at Delhi-UP Border | Taking at dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the BJP government's two-year celebration to mark the 150th anniversary of Gandhi Jayanti began with brutal thrashing. "Now, farmers can't even come to Delhi and share their pain," he says.

#BreakingNews

विश्व अहिंसा दिवस पर BJP का दो-वर्षीय गांधी जयंती समारोह शांतिपूर्वक दिल्ली आ रहे किसानों की बर्बर पिटाई से शुरू हुआ।

अब किसान देश की राजधानी आकर अपना दर्द भी नहीं सुना सकते! #KisanKrantiYatra

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 2, 2018

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has met the agitating farmers and has agreed to 'majority of the demands, Union minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Tuesday. Shekhawat along with farmers' leaders and UP minister Laxmi Narayan and Suresh Rana are now heading towards the Delhi-UP border. 

"Are we really dangerous? Are we a threat to the city-dwellers? Why is the police hitting us and firing at us? We have not come to harm anybody. Let us protest and claim our rights. We will leave after that. Why will a farmer want to disrupt normal lives?" Kartar Singh, a farmer from Punjab, asks, adding that they can sit here for days as they are used to working under the sun. "You will get nothing by making us uncomfortable,"  he says.

Thousands of farmers allied to the Bharatiya Kisan Union, who began marching from Haridwar on September 23, reached the Delhi border and were not allowed to enter the capital, triggering violence.

Twitterati are also questioning the government on the use of baton and tear gas on the day when the world is celebrating International Non-violence Day to mark Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary.

One side world is observing #Nonviolenceday and at the same time our police is using violence against farmers protesting for their rights.#MahatmaGandhi https://t.co/hT8w5QQDd5

— Mirza Hyderabad (@mirzahyd1) October 2, 2018

Look how the farmers who are lured with lofty promises during the elections are being chased out by firing teargas shells. #KisanKrantiYatra @narendramodi @Rahulsi16973840 @rajnathsingh pic.twitter.com/HXepOdNYEo

— Rahul Singh Rajawat (@Rahulsi16973840) October 2, 2018

Rajnath Singh Speaks to Farmers: Sources | Home Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to the agitating farmers. The Centre has sought for more time to feel the crop growers' demand, sources tell CNN-News18.

To ensure public safety and order, the Delhi Traffic Police have asking motorists to avoid the Meerut Expressway.