Farmer union leaders to meet today
Farmer leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss a plan of action as thousands gathered at protest sites on Delhi's borders
New Delhi: Farmer leaders are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss a plan of action as thousands gathered at protest sites on Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to press for the repeal of the new agri laws brace the cold wave sweeping through the national capital.
Efforts are underway by the unions to draw support from farmers in other states like Bihar for their demand to enact a law assuring Minimum Support Price as the protest at the border points have been going on for almost four weeks now.
On Monday, the farmers held a relay hunger strike at various protest sites in batches of 11.
In the letter to 40 union leaders, the Joint Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, Vivek Aggarwal, on Sunday asked them to specify their concerns over its earlier proposal of amendments in the laws and choose a convenient date for the next round of talks so that the ongoing agitation could end at the earliest.
The sixth round of talks on December 9 was cancelled following a deadlock with the farmer unions refusing to budge from their demand for repealing the three laws.
Owing to ongoing agitation, the Delhi Traffic Police said the Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, and Mangesh borders are closed.
It advised commuters to take alternative routes through the Lampur, Safiabad Saboli and Singhu school toll tax borders.
The government has repeatedly asserted that the MSP and mandi systems will stay and has accused the opposition of misleading the farmers.