New Delhi: A day before the government’s crucial sixth round of talks with representatives of protesting farmers, Home Minister Amit Shah met Tuesday a select group of union leaders in a bid to break the deadlock. Sources said 13 farmer leaders were called for the meeting, which began after 8.00pm. The farmer leaders included eight from Punjab and five from various nationwide organisations.
Sources said the participating leaders included Hannan Mollah of the All India Kisan Sabha and Rakesh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). Some farmer leaders said they first expected the meeting to take place at Shah’s residence here. However, the venue was shifted to the Pusa area.
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The meeting assumes significance as farmer leaders have been firm on their demand for repeal of three new farm laws enacted in September. The farmers claim the new laws will benefit corporates and end the mandi system and the minimum support price (MSP) regime.
“We will demand just a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ from Home Minister Amit Shah,” farmer leader Rudru Singh Mansa told reporters earlier in the day at the Singhu border.
A ‘Bharat Bandh’ observed by farmers to press their demand affected life in some states on Tuesday.
The government has maintained that it is committed to the welfare of farmers and has presented these laws as major reforms for their benefits.
