Farmers' Protest Updates: Govt pegs hope on 11 Jan SC hearing as eighth round of talks fail

JP Nadda to go to Bengal to reach out to farmers

Have discussed 50% of issues with farmer leaders, says Tomar

"We will follow whatever direction the SC will give in the matter. We are still hopeful of having a resolution said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar adding that "We had discussed over 50 percent of the issues with farmer leaders."

No solution except repealing farm laws, says Congress on farmers' protests

On a day farmers are holding the eighth round of talks with the government, the Congress on Friday said there is no solution except repealing the three farm laws.

Eighth round of negotiations end without conclusion; next meet on 15 Jan

No discussion in past one hour as farmers give ministers the silent treatment

The discussion between the farmers and the Centre reached an unprecedented stalemate as union leaders decided to observe silence while holding out papers with slogans including 'Jeetenge ya Marenge' (We will either win or die).

Ghar wapasi only after law vapasi: Farmers tell Centre

At the outset, Tomar appealed to unions for discussions on the laws, while farm leaders reiterated their demand that the new Acts must be withdrawn, sources said, adding that the agriculture minister stressed on protecting the farmers' interest of the entire country. "Our 'ghar wapsi' (return to home) can happen only if you do 'law wapsi' (repeal of laws)," a farmer leader said at the meeting.

"Ideally, the Centre should not interfere in agriculture matters as various Supreme Court orders have declared farming as a state subject. It seems you (the government) do not want to resolve the issue as talks have been happening for so many days. In that case, please give us a clear answer and we will go. Why to waste everyone's time," another farmer leader said at the meeting.

Farmers' unions say Narendra Singh Tomar has flatly refused to repeal law

Ready to hold talks 700 times, but our demands won't change, says Rakesh Tikait

Farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait said that the farmers are willing to converse with the government 700 times if they like, but their demands will not change. The farmer unions have already held seven rounds of negotiations while the eighth round is underway. While the government is trying to reason out the bill clause by clause, the agrarians are adamant they want the contentious bill repealed. 

Tomar meets Amit Shah before 8th round of talks with farmer unions

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday met senior BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah, just before the start of the eighth round of talks with protesting farmer unions on the three farm laws, sources said.

Union Ministers begin 8th round of talks with farmers' leaders

Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal arrived at the Vigyan Bhavan and began the eighth round of talks with farmers' leaders.

Ahead of the meet, Tomar had said that both sides will have to take steps to move towards a solution, adding that the government is ready to consider any proposal other than repealing the three agricultural laws.

JP Nadda to launch campaign to woo farmers on 9 January

BJP national president JP Nadda will be visiting West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district on Saturday to launch the party's new campaign aimed at wooing farmers, amid the ongoing protest over the contentious agriculture laws.

Nadda, in a bid to blunt opposition camp's "anti- farmer" allegations against the BJP-led central government, will float 'Ek Muthi Chawal' (a fistful of rice), a project under which he would collect rice from farmers' homes and brief them about the benefits of the new legislations.

15 Uttar Pradesh farmers sit on hunger strike

Amid ongoing protests against the farm laws, 15 farmers from Uttar Pradesh sat on a hunger strike in Noida.

The 15 protesters are from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lok Shakti) and are camping at the Dalit Prerna Sthal, while 11 farmers belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) are already on a relay hunger strike at the Chilla border since a fortnight, according to NDTV.

The 15 protesters belong to Gautam Buddh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Firozabad, Aligarh, Kasganj, among other places in the state.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal says Centre has lost trust of farmers

Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said the Centre has lost the trust of the entire farming community and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should directly talk to farmers who are registering their protests at the doorstep of the national capital.

In an interview to PTI, Badal, leader of the BJP's erstwhile ally, said, "Farmers are dying at the doorstep of the central government while protesting for their demands. Who will be responsible for deaths of 'annadaatas' of the country?" Badal said.

alking about the ongoing meetings between protesting farmers and Centre, Badal said after seven rounds of meetings nothing concrete has come out. "After several rounds of meetings if ministers are unable to resolve the farmers' issues then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should directly talk to protesting farmers," Badal said.

Minister says clause-wise talks will solve farmers' issues

MoS (agriculture) Kailash Choudhary said a solution to the farmers' issues could be found if clause-wise talks are held between the protestors and the Centre. "Government of India is ready to make amendments in the laws. We are hopeful of resolution,” he said.

On Thursday, Choudhary told ANI "There are people like Communists who are inciting farmers and don't want peace in the country". Choudhary urged the farmers to be cautious.

Meanwhile, Balvinder Singh Raju, a farmer, told Hindustan Times that there is no scope for clause-by-clause discussion between protestors and the government.

Eighth round of talks between Centre, farmers at 2 pm

The protesting farmers will hold their eighth round of talks with the government today at 2 pm, even as the Centre ruled out any possibility of repealing the three agricultural laws.

The last round of talks on 4 January failed to end the impasse and the farmers threatened to intensify the stir and enter Delhi on Republic Day if their demands were not met.