Farmers’ Protest Updates: The farmer protests against farm laws entered its 33rd day today.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th “Kisan Rail” from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal today via video-conferencing, his office said.
The multi-commodity train service will carry vegetables such as cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, drumstick, chilli and onion as well as fruits like grape, orange, pomegranate, banana and custard apple, it added.
Loading and unloading of perishable commodities will be permitted at all stoppages en route with no bar on the size of consignment, the Prime Minister”s Office (PMO) said, adding that the Centre has extended a 50-per cent subsidy on the transportation of fruits and vegetables.
The launch of the train by PM Modi comes amid protests by a section of farmers against three farm laws near Delhi”s borders.
Here are the Live Updates on farmer protests:
It is a sin to use the kind of words they are using for farmers. Government is answerable to farmers. The government should listen to them and take back the laws: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
किसानों की आय दोगुनी करने के PM @NarendraModi जी के प्रयासों में अहम भूमिका निभाती किसान रेल, कृषि उपज को नए बाजारों में भेजकर बेहतर मूल्य दिला रही है।
ऐसी 100वीं किसान रेल आज शाम 4:30 बजे मोदी जी द्वारा रवाना की जाएगी।
यह कार्यक्रम आप https://t.co/OuN2VDiJ3Z पर देख सकते हैं। pic.twitter.com/3sxeYUwPsd
– Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) December 28, 2020
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said that attempts to “mislead” farmers on the recent agriculture laws will not succeed. Addressing a state-level function to mark the third anniversary of the Jai Ram Thakur-led BJP government in Himachal Pradesh, he said the new laws will raise the income of farmers, but the Congress was misleading them. Whenever a reform is effected it takes a few years before it starts showing positive results, Singh said in his virtual address. Be it the 1991 economic reforms brought in by the then finance minister Manmohan Singh or other ones enacted during the Vajpayee government, it took four-five years to see their positive results, he added.
Farmers protesting against the Centre’s new farm sector laws clanged thalis and raised slogans as Prime Minister’s monthly radio address Mann ki Baat was broadcast this morning. The protest took place at three spots — Singhu border, Faridkot in Punjab and Rohtak in BJP-ruled Haryana. The “thali bajaao (clang plates)” protest during PM Modi’s address was announced last Sunday. Making the announcement, Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav had said, “On December 27 when the Prime Minister gives his Mann Ki Baat radio address, farmers will say ‘we are tired of listening to your Mann ki Baat, when will you listen to our Mann ki Baat?’ So we will bang utensils so that the noise of his Mann ki Baat doesn’t reach us,” he explained. Read Here
The Congress will hold dialogue with farmers in every Assembly constituency in Rajasthan from December 28 to 30 to make them aware about the Centre’s three farm laws which the party said was against the interests of the peasantry. Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said the Rajasthan government is with the agitating farmers and support their demand for repeal of the laws. He said that the Congress will hold dialogue with farmers in every Assembly constituency of the state with an aim to make them aware of the laws and support the ongoing agitation.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday appealed to the Centre to repeal the new farm laws and said farmers are protesting for their survival. In his second visit to the Singhu border, where thousands of farmers have been protesting against the laws since November last week, Mr Kejriwal said, “I challenge any Union minister to have an open debate with the farmers and it will be clear how harmful these laws are.” Read Here
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP of giving importance to its “capitalist friends” and said the farmers’ protest against the new agri laws is an example of the “failure” of the government. The BJP government at the Centre is making offers to farmers for talks, but on the other hand, it is levelling “baseless allegations” on the protesting farmers, he said in a statement issued. The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, however, did not elaborate on the issue of allegations on farmers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 100th “Kisan Rail” from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal today via video-conferencing, his office said.
