Ahead of the Monsoon Session, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced that a group of around 200 farmers will protest against the Centre's three farm laws outside Parliament every day during the session.
Addressing a press conference, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said. that two days before the session begins, a "chetavani patra (warning letter)" will be given to all opposition MPs to protest the laws inside the House.
"We will also ask the opposition MPs on July 17 to raise the issue every day inside the House while we will sit outside in protest. We will tell them not to benefit the Centre by walking out of a session. Don't let the session run till the government addresses the issue," he said.
Parliament's monsoon session is set to begin on July 19.
He added that five people from each farmer union would be taken to join the protest.
The SKM also called for a nationwide protest on July 8 against the rising prices of petrol, diesel and LPG cylinders. It asked people to come out and park their vehicles along state and national highways from 10 am till 12 pm.
"Whatever vehicle you have, tractor, trolley, car, scooter, just bring it to the nearest state or national highway and park it there. But don't create a traffic jam," Rajewal said. The farmer leader also appealed to people to "blow their vehicles' horns" for eight minutes at 12 pm.
Responding to a question regarding Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar's recent statement that the government was ready to hold talks with the farmers, Rajewal said they "will not talk with conditions".
"The leaders want to talk about farm laws with conditions, we are ready to talk with them but only if they agree to repeal the laws," Rajewal said.
On July 1, Tomar had asserted that the government was ready to hold talks with the protesting cultivators, except on the demand of the repeal of these laws.
Farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November 2020, demanding that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.
(With inputs from PTI)