The farmers protesting against the Modi government over new farm laws have rejected Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposal for a discussion on their grievances.
According to the reports, the protesting farmers who are blocking roads at the outskirts of Delhi said that they have rejected the offer claiming that the talks proposed by Amit Shah were conditional. The farmers, however, insisted that the Union Home Minister should visit the farmers and hold talks ‘without any conditions.’
The farmers contend that the government is imposing conditions on the talks. AAP founding member and chief of political outfit Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav speaking on behalf of agitating farmers said that farmers have now taken the decision to turn down the offer and will continue to sit on the borders of Delhi.
Farmers’ organisations have expressed reservations about the offer. Jagjit Singh, Bharatiya Kisan Union’s Punjab President, said, “He should have offered talks with an open heart without any condition”.
Now, the President of Bharat Kisan Union (Krantikari) has said that they will block the 5 entry points to Delhi and continue their ‘protest’.
“We’ve decided that we’ll never go to Burari Park as we got proof that it’s an open jail. Delhi Police told Uttarakhand Farmer Association President that they’ll take them to Jantar Mantar but instead locked them at Burari Park”, said Surjeet S Phul, President, BKU Krantikari (Punjab).
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1333011597384511488?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwHe further said, “Instead of going to open jail in Burari, we’ve decided that we will gherao Delhi by blocking 5 main entry points to Delhi. We’ve got 4 months ration with us, so nothing to worry. Our Operations Committee will decide everything”.
It is pertinent to note that earlier, the Home Minister in a goodwill gesture had said the government was willing to talk on “every problem and demand”. He also urged the farmers to move their protest to a designated spot near Burari in the national capital. The government’s decision to hold talks with farmers came after the so-called farmers began to block the highways causing inconvenience to citizens.
The Home Minister had appealed to all unions on Friday evening and had also personally called three farmer leaders – Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan), Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president of BKU ( Sidhupur) and Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of BKU (Rajewal). However, it seems that the farmer organisation are in no mood to engage with the government’s goodwill gesture and have instead decided to gherao Delhi.