Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Arjun Munda on Wednesday stated that the government is ready for a fresh round of talks with farmer leaders to discuss all the issues like MSP demand, crop diversification, stubble issue and more. His invitation comes ahead of the resumption of 'Delhi Chalo', the farmers' march to the national capital.
"I again invite the farmer leaders for discussion. It is important for us to maintain peace," the minister wrote on X.
After farmer leaders rejected the government's proposal over the Minimum Support Prices (MSP), Union Minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday had appealed to the protesters to maintain peace. "We have to take it forward from discussion to solutions...we want to ensure that we all get together to find a solution and brainstorm over the issue," the minister said.
Meanwhile, farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher urged the Union Government to remove barricades and blockades at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana and allow the farmers to march peacefully to Delhi.
Tear gas shells fired; Punjab DGP says done without any provocation
Meanwhile, Haryana security personnel stationed at the Shambhu border fired some tear gas shells after some young farmers were seen heading towards the multi-layered barricades there.
After Haryana Police lobbed tear gas canisters at around 11 am, some of the young farmers ran for cover.
Patiala Range DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar said that tear gas shells were used by the Haryana Police without any provocation as the farmers began their march towards Delhi and he added that he has lodged a protest with the Haryana Police for the same.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police has restricted the movement of traffic towards Shambhu now. Except the vehicles of farmers, all other vehicles are being diverted from near Rajpura.
Punjab has also deputed police personnel at the Shambhu border to ensure law and order besides deployment the by Haryana Police.
Hospitals have been put on alert in Patiala, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib as a likely clash is expected between the farmer unions and Haryana Police personnel.
Farmers will resume their 'Delhi Chalo' march today after they rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years.
Thousands of farmers, who began their march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border itself, where they had several stand-offs with security personnel. Tear gas shells were pelted using drones and several farmers suffered injuries. Rubber shells and water cannons too were used against some of the agitating protestors. Security personnel too sustained injuries.
The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana since then.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver.
Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.
(With PTI and Express News Service inputs)
