Farmers Protest Latest News: On day 5 of their continuous agitation, farmers on Monday vowed to continue their protest and said they have come to Delhi for a decisive battle. Unmoved by the appeals of the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they took the firm decision and said that they will continue their stir against the new agri-marketing laws.

However, looking at the rising cases of coronavirus in the national capital, Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday night decided to call the agitating farmers for talks on Tuesday at 3 PM.

“On November 13, we had decided we will meet on December 3, but farmers are in a mood to protest,” Union minister Narendra Tomar said.

“It is cold and there is coronavirus. Hence we invite them kisan union heads to Vigyan Bhawan on December 1 at 3 PM. We request you to leave the protest and find a solution through discussion,” he added.

Here are 10 developments from the protest today:

1) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, while visiting his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, slammed the Opposition for deceiving the agitating farmers. “The farmers are being deceived on these historic agriculture reform laws by the same people who have misled them for decades,” he said. He reiterated that farmers who wanted to follow the old system of trading referring to the mandis’ where they can get the MSP are still free to do so. But the three laws gave them new options to sell for more.

2) The Congress launched a social media campaign to muster support for the farmers and said its members will extend assistance to the protesters. “The Modi government has persecuted the farmer – first it brought black laws and then used lathis against them, but it forgot that when the farmer raises his voice, it resonates throughout the country. You also raise your voice against the exploitation of farmers and join the #SpeakUpForFarmers campaign,” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

3) A joint statement was issued by DMK president M K Stalin, TNCC chief K S Alagiri, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan, Communist Party of India state secretary R Mutharasan and others slamming the Centre’s stand. “More than 500 farmer unions from across India have rallied on behalf of the country’s 62 million farmers. We all strongly condemn the dictatorial, hegemonic BJP government for disregarding this massive rally and stipulating that negotiations will only take place only if the farmers go to the Burari ground,” it said.

4) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the people of Delhi to help the protesters and urged the Centre to hold talks with them at the earliest.

5) Experts warn their agitation could well be a COVID-19 superspreader as there have been few signs of social distancing during the protests that started last week with the farmers, banded under various organisations, leaving their homes and moving towards Delhi.

6) As per latest updates, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad will join the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s Ghazipur border at 11 AM Tuesday.

7) On Monday, Delhi Police registered a case of rioting and causing damage to public property against unknown protesters in connection with a scuffle that took place at Singhu border during the ongoing farmers’ agitation on November 27. The FIR was registered at Alipur police station under sections 186, 353, 332, 323, 147, 148, 149, 279, 337, 188 and 269 of the IPC apart from Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

8) Apart from AAP, Left parties on Monday asked their units and workers to join the ongoing farmers’ stir. “The calls given by the kisan organisations, agricultural labour organisations and trade unions must be supported,” CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said.

9) On day 5, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh extended support to the agitating farmers and asked “Will the corporates who would take the place of the arhtiyas [middlemen] ever care to help farmers in times of crisis?” He went on to say, “It is the job of the Government to listen to its people. If farmers are joining the agitation from so many states, then they must be really upset.”

10) JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy took to Twitter on Monday to say, “The #FarmersProtest in Delhi against the Centre’s new agricultural legislations has entered the 5th day. The Centre, which has stated that such laws have been brought in to help farmers, should immediately hold talks with protesters and make efforts to remove their suspicions.”

The farmers are protesting against the three laws — Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — that took effect from September 27 after President Ram Nath Kovind’s assent.