Farm laws protest | Govt ready for talks with farmers: Narendra Singh Tomar

NEW DELHI:

Amid massive protests by farmers for the third consecutive day, the government on Saturday said it is ready for talks with them anytime and urged them to call off their agitation.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that while a meeting with 32 protesting farmer unions has already been scheduled on December 3 to address their concerns, the government is ready to engage the unions’ leaders before that if they wish to.

Appealing to farmers to end their protest, the minister said farmer unions’ leaders should come for talks because solutions can be found only after the discussion.

“Farmers should end the protest and come for discussion. The Government of India is fully ready for the discussion. If farmer unions send their proposal, we are ready to consider that,” Tomar told PTI.

“Farmers are our people. The Agriculture Ministry is working for the welfare of farmers,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also said that the Centre is ready to hold discussions with farmers.

The protest is against the three new farm laws as they fear that it might dismantle procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and corporate farming while the Centre has maintained that the legislations are for the benefit of farmers.

Tomar also stressed that the Union government is in continuous discussion with farmers.

“Therefore, we invited the farmer union leaders for the second round of talks on December 3. If farmers wish, we are ready for discussion before that (December 3),” Tomar said.

On Saturday, about 400 farmers from various groups and states gathered at north Delhi’s Burari ground where the government had allowed them to hold a peaceful protest against the new farm laws. They shouted slogans, sang songs and carried flags in reds, greens and blues. (PTI)