New Delhi: The protesting farmers announced their decision on Saturday (December 26, 2020) to resume talks with the Centre, and proposed December 29 for the next round of dialogue to end the deadlock over the three farm laws.
Even while agreeing to resuming talks, the farmer union leaders made it clear that the modalities for the repeal and guarantee for MSP will be a part of the agenda.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against the farm laws for more than a month.
The farmers have also decided to further intensify their stir, with farmer leader Darshan Pal calling for a tractor march on December 30. He urged people from Delhi and other parts of country to join celebrate New Year with protesting farmers.
The decision also came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that his government is willing to hold talks with all as long as they are based on farm issues, facts and logic, and accused the Opposition parties for the deadlock with the farmer unions.
Meanwhile, BJP's ally in Rajasthan the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) announced that it is walking out of the ruling National Democratic Alliance in support of the farmers agitation. The Hanuman Beniwal-led Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) is the second NDA ally to do so after the Shiromani Akali Dal against the farm laws.
The Nagaur MP announced his decision, saying “Today, I separate myself from the NDA in protest against the three farm laws. These laws are anti-farmer. I have left NDA, but won't forge alliance with Congress,” he said.
While two Independent MLAs of the Haryana Assembly -- Sombir Sangwan and Balraj Kundu -- withdrew their support from the ruling state government.
Earlier on Saturday, the Centre decided to formally invite the farmers again to resume talks to end the deadlock. While on Friday, the farmer’s leaders had met with government officials over a letter about the three farm laws but no decision could be taken on it.
The farmers have been protesting against the three agricultural laws that were enacted in September.
Since November 26, many farmers led by several farmers’ organizations have been camping on the Delhi borders demanding a complete rollback of the three contentious laws.
