11:56 (IST)

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.

Farmers' protest LATEST Updates: As the farmers’ agitation against the agricultural laws enters the 44th day on Friday, the Centre will hold the eight round of talks with farmers on Friday. The talks to be held at 2 pm come a day after a tractor rally was held on Thursday on various Delhi borders.

Farm union leaders had said last week that thousands of farmers will enter Delhi on Republic Day and hold a tractor parade.

The eighth round of talks will be held between a ministerial committee, including Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Prakash, and 41 representatives of farm organisations.

Seven rounds of talks held so far have borne no results as the farmers are adamant on the complete rollback of the three new farm laws, while the government refuses to repeal them. Even as the farmers also stuck to the demand of legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP), The government offered making amendments to the laws as well as forming committee comprising members from both sides to review these, proposals that were rejected by the farmers.

On Thursday, Tomar met religious leader Baba Lakha Singh, one of the heads of the Nanaksar Sikh sect based in Punjab. Singh, who has been organising langar at the protest sites, said he wished to mediate between the government and protesting farmers.

Border crossing points to Delhi from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh continued to remain closed for traffic on Friday due to the ongoing farmers’ protest.

The Delhi Police have advised commuters from Uttar Pradesh to take routes passing through Anand Vihar, DND, Loni DND, and Apsara as Chilla and Ghazipur border crossings are closed. The Delhi-Haryana borders at Singhu, Tikri, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli, and Mangesh, too, remain closed.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other states are camped in and around Delhi over the past many weeks in protest against the new farm laws.

The laws in contention are Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The Supreme Court of India will hear petitions against farm laws and issues pertaining to the farmers’ protest on 11 January.



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