The invitation has been sent to only 32 Punjab farmer unions. Tribune file

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 1

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the talks with farmers on Tuesday.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar will also be present at the talks in which other ministers will also be present.

Sources say a meeting at BJP chief JP Nadda’s place will be held before the main meeting in which farmers will be face to face with the BJP-led Centre for the third time.

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Farmers are also holding a separate meeting to decide their further course of action.

The invitation has been sent to only 32 Punjab farmer unions.

Apparently, farmers unions from Haryana are holding a separate meeting to discuss the situation.

The letter signed by Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal is addressed to 32 Punjab unions. Farmer leaders, who say that the agitation belongs to farmers of the entire country, are demanding that organisations from across the country should be part of the talks.

Farmer bodies have said their stand on the three “black” laws, the newly-enacted Ordinance on Air Quality Management in Delhi-NCR and the Electricity Bill 2020 was “non-negotiable”.

However, the Prime Minister and the BJP-led Centre maintains that "the new farm laws have been brought for effective implementation of the promises made to the farmers. They will empower farmers and give them more options. However, those who played tricks with interests of farmers have launched a concerted disinformation campaign".