NEW DELHI: Hours after Union home minister Amit Shah indicated on Sunday that his colleague and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar will meet representatives of protesting farmer unions in a day or two, the Centre sent a written invite for the next round of talks while asking them to choose a convenient date.
In his letter, agriculture ministry joint secretary Vivek Aggarwal said, “I request those previously invited protesting union leaders to provide details of their remaining concerns and doubts and suggest a date as per convenience for next round of talks.”
Earlier in the day, farmer unions decided to approach allies of the ruling NDA asking them to pressure the BJP to repeal the three contentious farm laws to end the deadlock.
Addressing the media in Bolpur town of West Bengal, Amit Shah said: “I am not exactly aware of the timing but Tomar is likely to meet the representatives of farmers tomorrow or the day after to discuss their demands.”
Also, in a gesture loaded with symbolism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled visit to the historic Gurdwara Rakabganj in Delhi to pay tribute to Guru Tegh Bahadur, a day after his death anniversary.
Articulating the position of farmers after a meeting of all unions at Delhi’s border, Darshan Pal, president of the Krantikari Kisan Union, said, “We will approach NDA allies on December 26 and urge them to put pressure on the BJP to repeal the farm laws.’’
The farmer unions also decided to observe Kisan Diwas on December 23 as a day of fast, co-opting the public by urging them not to cook lunch that day so as to skip a meal in solidarity.
And on December 27, when Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme will be on, they intend to copy his Covid time strategy of urging people to beat thalis at home till his speech is over, this time to show anti-BJP unity.
Also, Haryana will be forced to be toll free from December 25 to 27, Pal said. Besides, farmers will begin a relay hunger strike from Monday.