Fix date for talks, farmers urge PM Modi
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Farmers shout slogans as they block a highway during their ongoing protest against the central government's recent agricultural reforms on the outskirts of Amritsar on February 6, 2021.
New Delhi: The protesting farmers have urged the government to fix a date for next round of talks to remove the stalemate over the newly passed agriculture laws.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the parliament on Monday, had asked the farmers to end the agitation and asked to "come to table talks".
Veteran leader of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, Shiv Kumar Kakka said that the farmers have never refused to hold dialogues with the government.
"We have never refused to hold dialogues with the government. Whenever it has called us for dialogue, we held discussions with Union minsters. We are ready for talks with them," Kakka told media.
The stalemate over the contentious agriculture laws continue even after eleven rounds of dialogue between the government and the protesters as the government reiterates that the laws will not be repealed. Failure of the government to commit a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price also prevents to bring in an amicable solution.
Since late November 26, thousands of farmers, who want the laws to be repealed, have been camping at three Delhi borders.
Modi, while replying in Rajya Sabha on Monday said that MSP will remain.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha leaders retorted that if the government was claiming that MSP will remain, why it could not provide a legal guarantee on it.
In his speech, Modi identified the protesters as "andolan jivis" who feast on every agitation.
"Agitation has an important role in democracy. People have a right to oppose the government's wrong policies," protesting farmers leader, Kakka said, responding to the malice remarks by the prime minister.