Ahead of the nationwide protests against the Centre’s farm laws on 14 December, a fresh stand-off between the police and the farmers was reported from the Delhi-Jaipur highway on Sunday, 13 December.
In a bid to escalate the protests, hundreds of farmers from Rajasthan blocked some major roads as part of their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march, while police set up barricades to stop farmers at the Rewari border.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Som Parkash at his residence. A group of farmers from Uttarakhand met Tomar in support of the farm laws. However, leaders of protesting farmer unions accused political hand behind supporting group of farmers.
- On Sunday, Punjab DIG Prisons Lakhminder Singh Jakhar resigned from his post, in solidarity with the ongoing protests
- Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said he will join his party members to fast for a day in support of the protesting farmers
- The farmer unions have announced a hunger strike from 8 am to 5 pm as part of the nationwide protests on 14 December
- On Saturday, 12 December, a delegation of 29 pro-reform farmers met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to extend their support to the farm laws
- Earlier on Friday, the Bharatiya Kisan Union moved the Supreme Court against the three contentious farm laws
Uttarakhand Farmers Meet Agricultural Minister in Supports of Farm Laws, Protesters Cry 'Political Hand'
A group of farmers from Uttarakhand met Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday and supported the farm laws.
They said that the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September will bring revolutionary changes in the agricultural sector.
"The farmers from Uttarakhand met today, understood the agricultural reform bills and gave their suggestions. I thank all of them on behalf of the government. The doors of the government are always open for the farmers," Union Agricultural Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told media after the meeting.
However, leader of protesting farmer union, Jasbir Singh said, “90 people out of those who met Union Agriculture Minister today have nothing to do with farming. 10 farmers who were present in the meeting have other businesses too. They have been brought here from Uttarakhand by a political leader.”
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Punjab CM Lashes Out at Kejriwal for 'Exploiting Farmer Stir'
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday attacked his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal for "exploiting" the ongoing agitation of the farmers to "further his party's petty electoral agenda with blatant lies and brazenly false propaganda".
"In sharp contrast to the Kejriwal government in Delhi, which had been thriving on corporate houses' crumbs, the Punjab government had neither signed any agreement with Adani Power nor was even aware of the private players bidding for power purchase in the state," said the Chief Minister, in a hard-hitting reaction to the latest campaign by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab.
It was, in fact, the Kejriwal government that was shamelessly notifying one of the black farm laws on November 23, at a time when farmers were preparing to march to Delhi to protest these very farm laws, said Amarinder Singh.
"And now they're indulging in theatrics by announcing that they'd be sitting on fast in support of the farmers' hunger strike on Monday," he added.
Why Govt Talking if Farmers Have Maoist and Khalistan Links: Chidambaram
Former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has slammed the Centre on the linking of farmers' protest with Khalistan and Maoist elements and questioned that if it were so why was the government holding talks with protesters.
"Ministers have described the protesters against the farm laws as Khalistanis, agents of Pakistan and China, Maoists, and 'tukde-tukde' gang. If you exhaust all these categories, it means there are no farmers among the thousands of protesters. If there are no farmers, why is the government talking to them?" he tweeted.
'Will Fast For a Day in Support of Farmers': Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Joins Party Workers
Joining his party workers, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said he too will keep a fast for one day to show solidarity with the protesting farmers. Earlier in the day, AAP leader Gopal Rai had said, “Responding to the farmers' call Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided that all party workers will observe fast to protest against the farm laws.”
The farmer unions have also announced a hunger strike from 8 am to 5 pm on December 14 at Singhu border, the fulcrum of the farmer protests.