13:18 (IST)
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates
BJP making sordid attempts to lower prestige of guv's post: Punjab CM
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday lambasted the state BJP leadership for their "sordid attempts to lower the prestige" of the gubernatorial office by "pulling the Constitutional authority into unsavoury controversies".
Reacting to BJP state unit's tweet accusing him of trying to "turn Punjab into another West Bengal", he alleged that it was the "power-hungry BJP" which had been trying to use the office of the governor for its own vested interests.
"It has been happening in West Bengal, it happened in Maharashtra, and now they are trying to do the same in Punjab," Singh said, slamming the BJP for its "shameless efforts to force its way into power" in states ruled by other parties.
The BJP, which has been "systemically trampling" all democratic and constitutional institutions, has not spared even the office of Governor, alleged the chief minister, adding "these actions do not behove a party that is the custodian of these institutions as the ruling party at the Centre."
He quipped that the BJP, despite being a national party, seemed "totally ignorant" about the constitutional provisions, according to which the Governor was the titular head of the state but all administration authority vested with the chief minister.
13:14 (IST)
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates
Farmers unions reiterate demand for repeal of farm laws
Leaders of farmers unions on Monday reiterated that nothing less than the repeal of Central farm laws will be acceptable to them, reports The Hindustan Times.
Ahead of the seventh-round of talks with the Central government over the issue, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) spokesperson, Rakesh Tikait said, “Many issues are to be discussed today. The government must understand, the farmer has taken this movement to his heart and won’t consider less than the repeal of these laws. The government should implement Swaminathan’s report and make law on MSP.”
12:54 (IST)
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates
Hope farmers get justice, will be a relief to all: Dharmendra
Ahead of the next round of talks between the central government and protesting farmer unions, veteran actor and former Member of Parliament (MP) Dharmendra on Monday said that he prays with all his heart that the farmers agitating against the three farm reform laws get justice today.
“I hope today my farmer brothers get justice. I pray with all my heart. Every noble soul will get relief," Dharmendra, 84, wrote in Hindi on Twitter.
This is not the first time the screen icon has spoken up in the wake of the farmers' crisis. In December, Dharmendra urged the Centre to find a solution to the protests over the farm laws. "I am in extreme pain to see the suffering of my farmer brothers. The government should do something fast," he had tweeted.
Aaj , mere kisaan bhaiyon ko insaaf mil jaye . Ji jaan se Ardaas karta hoon 🙏 Har nek rooh ko sakoon mil jaye ga ...... pic.twitter.com/27VJJLatTr
— Dharmendra Deol (@aapkadharam) January 4, 2021
12:46 (IST)
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates
Reliance Industries has no plans to enter contract farming, says company
Following the vandalisation of several mobile towers of Reliance Industries' Subsidiary Jio Infocomm, RIL and Jio have filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday, seeking to stop acts of vandalism. RIL released the following media statement on Monday:
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), through its subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL), in a petition mentioned to be filed in the Honourable Punjab and Haryana High Court today, has sought the urgent intervention of Government authorities to bring a complete stop to the illegal acts of vandalism by miscreants. These acts of violence have endangered the lives of thousands of its employees and caused damage and disruption to the vital communications infrastructure, sales and service outlets run by its subsidiaries in the two states.
The miscreants indulging in vandalism have been instigated and aided by vested interests and our business rivals. Taking advantage of the ongoing farmers’ agitation near the national capital, these vested interests have launched an incessant, malicious and motivated.
The falsehood of the campaign becomes crystal clear from the following irrefutable facts, which we have placed before the Honourable High Court. These facts establish that Reliance has nothing whatsoever to do with the three farm laws currently debated in the country, and in no way benefits from them. As such, the sole nefarious purpose of linking the name of Reliance to these laws is to harm our businesses and damage our reputation.
12:31 (IST)
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates
Key border points in Delhi continue to remain shut due to protests
Routes connecting Delhi to Ghaziabad and Noida via Ghazipur and Chilla borders remained partially closed on Monday due to the farmers'' protest against the Centre's agricultural reforms, the traffic police said. They advised commuters to take alternative routes for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Bhopra and Loni borders.
Traffic Alert
— Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 4, 2021
Singhu, Auchandi ,Piau Maniyari, Saboli & Mangesh borders closed. Please take alternate route via Lampur Safiabad, Palla & Singhu school toll tax borders.Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba & GTK road. Please avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road & NH-44.
12:28 (IST)
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates
Crucial seventh round of talks between Centre and farmers to be held today
The seventh round of talks between the Centre and the farmers will be held today to discuss two key issues – the repeal of the three farm laws and giving legal status to the MSP guarantee.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary has expressed hope that a solution will be found out in the talks and agitation against three agriculture laws may end as well.
Despite rains and the ongoing cold wave across North India, farmers agitating against the Centre's farm laws stood strong at the borders of the national capital and continued their protest for the last 39 days.
Farmers' Protest LATEST Updates: The seventh round of talks between the Centre and the farmers will be held today to discuss two key issues – the repeal of the three farm laws and giving legal status to the MSP guarantee.
A day before the crucial seventh round of talks between the Centre and protesting farmer unions, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday and discussed the government strategy to resolve the current crisis at the earliest, sources said.
Tomar discussed with Singh "all possible options" to find a "middle path" to resolve the crisis, sources added.
Singh, who served as agriculture minister in the erstwhile Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet, has emerged as a key troubleshooter and is working mostly behind the scenes on this issue.
Protesting farmers who have been camping at Delhi borders for the last 39 days braving the bone-chilling cold and now rains have threatened to intensify their protest if their two major demands -- repeal of the three new farm laws and legal backing for the minimum support price (MSP) -- are not accepted by the government in the January 4 meeting.
Rains since Saturday night led to waterlogging at the agitation venues, but the unions asserted that "we will not move from here until our demands are met".
After five rounds of inconclusive talks, the government and 40 farmer unions reached some common ground during the sixth round of negotiations on December 30 to resolve protesting farmers'' concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of the three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP.
On January 1, Tomar had told PTI that the government is hopeful of a "positive outcome" at its next meeting with farmers'' unions on January 4 but refrained from predicting whether the seventh round of talks will be the last one.
Asked whether he expects the January 4 meeting to be the last one, the minister said, "I cannot say for sure now. I am not an astrologer. I am hopeful that whatever decision would be arrived at (in the meeting) will be in the interest of the country and of the farmers."
Last week, protesting farmer unions issued an "ultimatum" that they will march into Delhi with a "tractor parade" on Republic Day if their demands are not met in the next round of talks.
"The farmers' movement delivered an ultimatum to the Government of India and announced that farmers will march into Delhi on 26 January," Sankyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of around 40 protesting unions, had said in a statement.
Thousands of farmers have been protesting at various borders of the national capital for more than a month demanding repeal of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.
Enacted in September 2020, the government has presented these laws as major farm reforms and aimed at increasing farmers'' income, but protesting farmers have raised concerns that these legislations would weaken the MSP and mandi systems and leave them at the mercy of big corporates.
The government has maintained these apprehensions are misplaced and has ruled out repealing the laws.
While several opposition parties and people from other walks of life have come out in support of the farmers, some farmer groups have also met Agriculture Minister Tomar over the last few weeks to extend their support for the three laws.
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2MrIBSJ
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