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Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: AIKSCC to Hold Massive All India Stir; Punjab CM Urges Shah to Resolve Crisis, Delhi's Border with Haryana, UP, Rajasthan Blocked

News18.com | December 03, 2020, 15:42 IST
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Event Highlights

Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday made an appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the protesting farmers to find an early resolution to the impasse over the new farm laws, saying the agitation is affecting Punjab's economy and the nation's security. Singh after meeting Shah at his residence in Delhi said a common ground must be found soon and the two sides should not take rigid positions on the matter. "I came to meet the Home Minister to reiterate our position and to make a request to him and the farmers to resolve this soon because this (agitation) affects the economy of my Punjab as well as the security of the nation," the Congress leader told reporters after the meeting. He said he urged the home minister to find an early solution to the issue. Asked if he was trying to mediate between the agitating farmers and the central government, Singh said a discussion is going on between the two sides. "It is for them to resolve... we have reiterated Punjab's position," he said.

Several popular faces from the Punjab entertainment industry have also lent support to the protesting farmers. Singer Jazzy B, Amrinder Gill, Gippy Grewal, Karamjit Anmol and comedian-actor Gurpreet Ghuggi have posted messages supporting the protesters. Bhim Army chief Chandrasekhar joined the protesters at Singhu border.
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Dec 03, 2020 15:42 (IST)

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Urges LS Speaker to Convene Winter Session | Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has urged Speaker Om Birla to convene a short winter session of the House to discuss several issues including the farmers' agitation and preparation of coronavirus vaccine.

Dec 03, 2020 15:38 (IST)

Parkash Singh Badal Has Fought for Farmers His Entire Life: SAD Chief | Former Punjab Cheif Minister Parkash Singh Badal fought for farmers for his entire life. He returned his award to send a strong message to the government. Farmers don't need these laws so why is the Government of India forcing them on farmers?: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal

Dec 03, 2020 15:33 (IST)

READ | Financial Assistance to Families of Two Punjab Farmers Who Died During Agitation

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expressed grief over the death of two farmers. He announced a financial assistance of Rs five lakh each to the families of two farmers, said a government release here.

Dec 03, 2020 15:12 (IST)

Farmers Body Announces Massive All India Campaigns Against Agri Laws | All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), announced massive all India protest campaigns against new farm acts, electricity bill & resisting corporate takeover of agriculture & food security of India. AIKSCC denounced the repression of farmer protests being held in Andhra Pradesh & Odisha and demanded immediate release of all arrested leaders & activists. 

Dec 03, 2020 15:05 (IST)

TRAFFIC UPDATE |

Borders which are open 
Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders

Borders which are closed for traffic

Tikri, Jharoda borders closed for traffic movement

Border which are partially opened

Badusarai border is open only for Light Motor Vehicle and two-wheelers. Jhatikaraborder open only for two-wheelers.

Dec 03, 2020 14:57 (IST)

Farmers Protesting at Gazipur Border

Dec 03, 2020 14:35 (IST)

READ | Parkash Singh Badal, Former Punjab CM and Akali Dal Leader, Returns Padma Vibhushan Over Farmers' Crisis

Pressure has been mounting on the Centre for over a week now since thousand of farmers marched towards Delhi as part of their 'Dilli Chalo' protest. The agitation saw face-off with security personnel…

Dec 03, 2020 14:13 (IST)

Mamata Threatens Country-wide Stir if New Farm Laws not Withdrawn | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata  Banerjee on Thursday threatened to launch a country-wide agitation if the "anti-farmer" new farm laws were not withdrawn. The Trinamool Congress supremo lashed out at the BJP- led government at the Centre over the issue in a series of tweets. "I am very much concerned about the farmers, their lives and livelihood. GOI must withdraw the anti-farmer bills. If they do not do so immediately, we will agitate throughout the state and the country. From the very start, we have been strongly opposing these anti-farmer bills," she tweeted.

Dec 03, 2020 13:37 (IST)

Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar meets protesting farmers at Singhu border. "If Govt becomes dictator then people should come out on the streets. Govt should stop shaming this movement. We're here to support our farmers & will stand by them till the end," he said.

Dec 03, 2020 13:32 (IST)

Union Ministers Meet Farmers' Groups to Break Deadlock |  Farmers' groups met three Union ministers for fourth round of talks amid an ongoing protest seeking repeal of the new farm laws.  Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Railways, Commerce and Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab, are holding talks with the representatives of 35 farmers' unions at the Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital. The government said that the meeting started in the afternoon and discussions are being held in a cordial atmosphere.   

Dec 03, 2020 13:22 (IST)

Prakash Singh Badal Returns Padma Vibhushan Over Betrayal of Farmers | Parkash Singh Badal, former Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal leader, returns Padma Vibhushan to protest betrayal of farmers by the government. 

Dec 03, 2020 13:15 (IST)

TRAFFIC UPDATE | Farmers blocked Jaipur-Delhi highway, police deployed. 

Dec 03, 2020 13:09 (IST)

Punjab CM Announces Financial Assistance for Farmers' Families | Punjab CM Captain Amrinder Singh has announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the two farmers, hailing from districts Mansa and Moga respectively, who died during ongoing Farm law protests, stated the Chief Minister's Office, Punjab. 

Dec 03, 2020 12:59 (IST)

TRAFFIC UPDATE | Traffic disrupted in North Delhi due to barricades placed by police in view of farmers protest

Dec 03, 2020 12:50 (IST)

READ | Farmers' Protest a Tug-of-war Between Pressure Farm Organisations Can Exert, How Much Govt Will Resist

Three union ministers participated in the meeting with farm leaders, more to gauge the mood of the farm leaders than to offer any alternative, as decision-making lies elsewhere.

Dec 03, 2020 12:42 (IST)

Amrinder Singh Requests Agitating Farmers to Listen, Govt to Think | Punjab CM Amrinder Singh raises state security issue after meeting with Amit Shah over agitating farmers issue. Singh has now requested farmers to listen and the government to think over the issues raised.  

Dec 03, 2020 12:27 (IST)

Delhi Police Suggests Alternative Routes as Farmers Protest Enters Eighth Day | With no let up in the farmers protest against the Centre's new farm laws, the Delhi Police intensified its security arrangements and suggested alternative routes to commuters entering or exiting the city.  The agitating farmers had on Wednesday demanded that the Centre convene a special session of Parliament and repeal the farm laws as they threatened to block other roads in Delhi and "take more steps" if it failed to do so. A crucial round of talks between the Centre and the representatives of protesting farmers is scheduled to be held later in the day. 

Dec 03, 2020 12:21 (IST)
Worries of a Fresh Crop: Why the Spiralling Farmers' Protests Are Making Punjab Politicians Jittery

The concern is that the longer the impasse remains, the chances of a new alternative emerging grows. And this is something which none of the political parties want.

Dec 03, 2020 12:18 (IST)

Heavy police deployed during protests. 

Dec 03, 2020 12:05 (IST)

UPDATE | Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh reaches at Home Minister Amit Shah's residence to discuss farmers' strike, agri laws. 

Dec 03, 2020 11:45 (IST)

 Farmer leaders arrive at Vigyan Bhawan for their meeting with the government over recently passed farm laws. 

Dec 03, 2020 11:23 (IST)

We are talking to the farmers to end the blockade here as this is a major route to Delhi and we are hopeful that the roadway will be opened soon, said Abhishek Verma, SP City at Ghazipur border. 

Dec 03, 2020 11:07 (IST)

Govt firm on Not Withdrawing Agri Laws, Calls Leaders to Discuss Issues |The government has received a copy of the demands of the agitating farmers and today they will discuss the issues clause-by-clause with the farmers’ groups. The government is keen to reply clause-by-clause during today’s deliberation. However, in case of no consensus, the government will be insisting on constituting a committee, which includes experts from government and also the farmers’ side. The Centre is firm that there is no withdrawal of the three laws and there will be no compromise on it, sources told India Today. 

Dec 03, 2020 11:07 (IST)

Govt firm on Not Withdrawing Agri Laws, Calls Leaders to Discuss Issues |The government has received a copy of the demands of the agitating farmers and today they will discuss the issues clause-by-clause with the farmers’ groups. The government is keen to reply clause-by-clause during today’s deliberation. However, in case of no consensus, the government will be insisting on constituting a committee, which includes experts from government and also the farmers’ side. The Centre is firm that there is no withdrawal of the three laws and there will be no compromise on it, sources told India Today. 

Dec 03, 2020 11:02 (IST)

TRAFFIC UPDATE | Slow traffic movement seen on a road near Sector 16 amidst blockades in wake of Farmers protest. 

Dec 03, 2020 10:40 (IST)

Farmers continue their protest against the Centre's contentious farm laws at Delhi's Gazipur border with Uttar Pradesh.

Dec 03, 2020 10:25 (IST)

READ | Transporters' Body Threatens to Halt Operations in North India from Dec 8 in Support of Protesting Farmers

Entire North India is affected and thousands of trucks carrying food, vegetables and other perishable and non-perishable items coming from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand…

Dec 03, 2020 10:20 (IST)

People of Punjab Want Peace & Development: Som Prakash on Pro-Khalistan Slogans | People of Punjab want peace and development, there might be a few people making anti-social statements but we should keep a progressive approach and talk in the interest of Punjab, said Som Prakash, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry on pro-Khalistan slogans at farmers protest. 

Dec 03, 2020 10:11 (IST)

TRAFFIC UPDATE | NH9 and NH24  (Ghaziabad to Delhi road) shut for traffic movement due to ongoing protests. 

Dec 03, 2020 09:54 (IST)

Cong Workers Try to March to Haryana CM's Home, Face Water Cannons | Police used water cannons yesterdat as Punjab Youth Congress workers jumped barricades trying to march to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's home here, protesting over the new farm laws. The activists wanted to 'gherao' Khattar's home to protest against the use of water cannons and teargas against Punjab farmers last week, when the Haryana Police had tried to stop them from entering the state to continue their 'Delhi Chalo' march.

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Farmers' Protest LIVE Updates: AIKSCC to Hold Massive All India Stir; Punjab CM Urges Shah to Resolve Crisis, Delhi's Border with Haryana, UP, Rajasthan Blocked
Farmers protest against the Centre's new farm laws. (PTI)

The situation may turn tenser if the deadlock between the Centre and farmers continue as the protesters have threatened to block other roads in Delhi and "take more steps". They have demanded that the BJP-ruled central government convene a special session of Parliament and repeal the new farm laws. As the number of protesters swelled at Delhi's border points, the apex body of transporters — All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), representing about 95 lakh truckers and other entities — extended its support to the farmers and threatened to halt operations in northern India from December 8 if the government fails to address concerns of the farming community.

Meanwhile, politics has also heightened over the issue with leaders now suggesting hand of "anti-social elements" in the protest. While Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal said that "many foreign powers like China and Pakistan want to destabilise country in the name of farmers", Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari claimed that the so-called "tukde tukde gang" was trying to turn the farmers' stir at the national capital's borders into a Shaheen Bagh-like protest. Shaheen Bagh in South Delhi was the hub of the agitation against the citizenship amendment act earlier this year, before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

Ahead of Thursday talks, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held deliberations with agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Wednesday on ways to dispel concerns over the new farm laws. Tomar, Goyal along with Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash had represented the Union government on Tuesday during the talks with farmer leaders but failed to reach any breakthrough.

As part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march, farmers have currently been staging protests at four busy border points of the national capital - Singhu, Noida, Ghazipur and Tikri - to press their demands under heavy police deployment. Leaders of around 35 farmer organisations held a meeting which was also attended by Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait at the Singhu border.

"The Centre should call a special session of Parliament to repeal the new farm laws. We will continue our agitation till these laws are repealed," Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal told reporters after the meeting. He accused the Centre of dividing the farmers organisations by projecting the ongoing protests as Punjab-centric.

Representatives of farmers organisations from other parts of the country will also be involved under Kisan Samyukt Morcha to decide the future course of action against the new farm laws, he said. Pal said that representatives of farmer organisations will give their point-wise objections to the Union ministers at a meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday.

Another farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chadoni said that if the Centre does not withdraw the laws, more steps will be taken in the coming days to press their demands. According to Tikait, all the farmers' unions want that MSP should be turned into a law and the three central farm laws repealed. "The government had asked us to give in writing what were the problems with the laws. There would have been room for a written statement had we been looking for an amendment in the laws, but we just have one demand - completely doing away with the laws," he told PTI.

He also said that the farmers have rejected the idea of a committee. "There are simply too many committees in the country. There have been several committee reports in the past but they don't result in anything. Committees are created essentially to avoid an uprising. I have been part of the farmers' movement for nearly 30 years, so I know that much," Tikait said. "If the government does not come to a decision in the next few days, we will increase pressure on NH8 and NH2, we have been in talks with our farmer brothers in Rajasthan," he threatened. The day also saw Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal trading charges against each other over the AAP government's notification of one of the three central farm laws.

Kejriwal accused Singh of playing "dirty politics" and suggested that he was under pressure from central agencies. But Singh trashed Kejriwal's assertion that states are "helpless" against central legislation and said it was clear that the AAP leader did not even want to try to fight the "draconian" laws. "Instead of meekly just notifying the central laws, Kejriwal could have tried to make some effort to counter them and protect the rights of the farmers," the Punjab chief minister said.

He alleged it is evident that "this sneaky little fellow, whose double standards have been exposed time and again, is now completely cornered on the issue". The protest at the Delhi-Noida route (Chilla Boarder) intensified leading to the closure of the key route for the second consecutive day as more farmers from Firozabad, Meerut, Noida and Etawah started gathering there. Later, one carriage was opened for motorists.

More farmers from Firozabad, Meerut, Noida and Etawah started gathering, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad is likely to join farmers on Thursday at the Singh Border where thousands have been protesting for the last seven days. Azad had joined protest being held at the Ghazipur Border near UP Gate. Meanwhile, Kejriwal claimed that the Centre was angry with him for not permitting stadiums to be used as temporary jails for farmers protesting against the farm laws.

On Wednesday, around 2,00 farmers who have been camping near Ghazipur Border since Saturday refused to leave the site unless their demands are met. The farmers who are mainly from Uttar Pradesh have also been joined by groups from Uttarakhand.

A senior police officer said "The farmers at Ghazipur Border wants to either move to Ram Leela Maidan or to Jantar Mantar. Everyday, they try to push our barricades with their vehicles in an attempt to enter Delhi but in any case, we will not allow them to enter. However, the situation on ground now remains peaceful." A protestor camping at the Ghazipur border said farmers are here despite facing huge losses back home. "This is the time we harvest sugarcane. But this is more important. We will continue to protest until the government agrees to our demands," Sonu, a member of Muzaffarnagar Bharatiya Kisan Union, said.

More farmers also started gathering at Singhu border, one of the major protest sites. According to police, checking of vehicles has also been intensified at the border points as a precautionary measure in view of the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march by farmers.

"Cemented barriers and multi-layered barricades have been put up besides heavy security personnel at Ghazipur border near UP gate where many farmers have been protesting since Saturday," a senior police officer said. Away from the comfort of their homes and undeterred by the winter chill, farmers camping at Delhi's Singhu border against the Centre's agriculture reform laws say they are prepared for a long haul and will not leave until their demands are met.

The farmers, who have come from the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, start their day with a bath at petrol pumps, where they also wash their clothes. They return the favour by cleaning the petrol pumps. Then they cook on the roadside. Anyone visiting the protest site is also offered a wholesome meal which includes dal, rice, paranthas and kheer on different days. Farm leaders met Union ministers on Tuesday, but the two sides failed to break the deadlock.

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