Chandigarh:

The Centre will hold a meeting with Punjab’s protesting farmers on February 14 in Chandigarh to discuss their demands, thus ending a stalemate over the resumption of a dialogue with the agitators, who have been demanding a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops.

Following the announcement of the proposed meeting, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 54th day on Saturday, agreed to take medical aid.

However, he will not end his indefinite fast till a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops is given, said farmer leader Sukhjit Singh Hardojhande.

Later, pictures showing Dallewal taking medical aid with an intravenous drip were released by the farmers.

The breakthrough came after a delegation of officials from the Union agriculture ministry, led by Joint Secretary Priya Ranjan, met Dallewal and held a meeting with the representatives of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which are spearheading the agitation for the last 11 months.

Following the announcement of the meeting on February 14, farmer leaders appealed to Dallewal to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed deliberations.

The Centre’s delegation also urged Dallewal to take medical aid so that he can participate in the proposed meeting, which will take place at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration at Chandigarh at 5 pm on February 14.

Talking to reporters at the Khanauri protest site, Ranjan said a high-level delegation was sent by the Centre, keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Dallewal.

“We enquired about his health and held a meeting with the representatives (of the protesting farmer bodies),” he said.

Ranjan said the meeting will be held in Chandigarh on February 14.

“We urged him (Dallewal) to break his fast and take medical aid, so that he can participate in the meeting,” he said.

A letter addressed to Dallewal, SKM (Non-Political) and KMM read: “This is in continuation of the previous meeting with the leaders of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which was held on February 15, 2024 at Chandigarh.

“A meeting with the ministers of the government of India and the Punjab government regarding the demands of the farmers’ unions has been convened on February 14, 2025 (5 pm) at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration Punjab (MGSIPA), Sector-26, Chandigarh. You are cordially invited to the meeting, please attend at the scheduled time. We hope that Dallewal will soon end his fast, recover and join the discussion,” said the letter written by Ranjan.

Four rounds of meetings had taken place between Union ministers and the protesting farmers on February 8, 12, 15 and 18 last year, but the talks remained inconclusive.

Earlier on Saturday, the farmers protesting at the Khanauri and Shambhu border points between Punjab and Haryana said they have received a proposal from the central government which they will discuss.

The Centre’s delegation held meetings with the representatives of both the forums.

A Punjab government team led by retired additional director general of police Jaskaran Singh and former deputy inspector general of police Narinder Bhargav, who were holding discussions with the farmer leaders, was also present.

According to farmer leader Abhimanyu Kohar, officials have said February 14 has been fixed for the meeting as Assembly polls are due in Delhi and the Model Code of Conduct will be in force in the capital till February 9.

When the Model Code of Conduct is in force, no government can make any announcement, Kohar said.

Sharing details about Dallewal’s health, Kohar said the farmer leader was unable to take water and had been vomiting.

Doctors have warned that anything could happen to Dallewal, he added.

Before agreeing to take medical aid, Dallewal had asked the farmer leaders to take consent from the 121 farmers who were also on an indefinite fast.

A few days ago, a group of 111 farmers and later, 10 more farmers sat on a fast-unto-death in solidarity with Dallewal.

Dallewal, who is the convenor of the SKM (Non-Political), has been on an indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point since November 26 last year in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops.

Farmers had said Dallewal had not eaten anything since November 26 last year and was just surviving on water.

Farmer leaders on Thursday said Dallewal has lost about 20-kg weight during his fast-unto-death.

The weight of Dallewal has reduced to 66.4 kg now from 86.9 kg, when he began the indefinite fast.

Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and KMM, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for their crops. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered the Haryana government to remove within a week barricades set up at the Shambhu border near Ambala.

The Haryana government had set up barricades at the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February when the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had announced to move towards Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee to MSP for crops.

The directions came on a petition filed against the sealing of border between Punjab and Haryana.

Speaking to reporters here, Haryana Additional Advocate General Deepak Sabharwal said the court has directed the Haryana government to remove barricading within seven days.

The court also said if any law and order situation arises, then it can take preventive action as per law.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chandigarh:

The farmers on Sunday protested against BJP candidate Dinesh Babbu in Batala and party leader Arvind Khanna in Barnala in Punjab as the party leaders continued to face their wrath over their unmet demands.

The BJP candidates and leaders have been facing protests from the farmers who have shown them black flags when they were campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls.

Party candidates Hans Raj Hans from Faridkot seat, Taranjit Singh Sandhu from Amritsar and Preneet Kaur from Patiala have already witnessed the anger of the farmers.

In Fatehgarh Churian in Batala, a group of farmers on Sunday raised slogans against Mr Babbu, who is the BJP nominee from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat.

Police even tried to stop the protesters from heading towards the venue where Mr Babbu and the BJP supporters were holding an election related programme.

One of the protesters at Fatehgarh Churian said they will continue to oppose the BJP leaders.

Reacting to the protest, BJP candidate Babbu said it was only his party which can resolve their issues while the other political outfits will “use” them for their vested interests.

“We are with the farmers and I am also a farmer. Their issues can be resolved through dialogue,” said Mr Babbu.

In another incident, BJP leader Arvind Khanna faced the farmers’ protest in Barnala where he had gone to campaign.

A heavy police force was deployed and barricades were raised.

One of the woman protesters slammed the BJP government for not allowing the farmers to go towards Delhi and using “force” against them.

Another protester said they came to hold the protest against Mr Khanna in a peaceful manner but the police personnel did not allow them to move towards the venue.

Mr Khanna, however, alleged that it was not farmer outfits but the workers of the AAP who were “orchestrating” such protests.

“The farmers are either in their fields (for wheat harvesting) or mandis (for selling wheat). These outfits are the people of (chief minister) Bhagwant Mann and these are not farmers,” alleged Mr Khanna, adding that the Modi government stands by the farmers.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who has also been facing farmers’ ire, said he belongs to a farming family.

He said he emphasised on increasing the income of the farmers. “I am campaigning and I will continue to do so,” he said.

The farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) have already said they will oppose the BJP and will ask the people to “punish” the saffron party in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The farmers owing allegiance to various farm outfits are upset with the BJP-led Centre for not accepting their demands, including a law on minimum support price.

They were also angry over not being allowed to head towards Delhi, forcing them to camp at Shambhu and Khanauri border points of Punjab and Haryana.

The SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by the farmers to press the government to accept their demands which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

The farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 when their march was stopped by the security forces.

The polling for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held in the last phase on June 1. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Protesting farmers will start marching towards Delhi to press their various demands to the central government today. The announcement has prompted the police to increase security at the Punjab and Haryana borders.

The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), the two umbrella bodies that are leading the farmers’ protests, on March 3 gave a call to farmers from across the country to reach the national capital today.

They also called for a four-hour countrywide “rail roko” next week in support of their various demands, which include that the Centre should give a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the crops.

The protesting farmers have been staying put at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana after their “Delhi Chalo” march was stopped by security personnel on February 13.

While the farmers from Punjab and Haryana will continue the agitation at Shambhu and Khanauri border points, the farmers and farm labourers from other states have been asked to reach Delhi today.

Farmers’ ‘Rail Roko’ Protest

To intensify the agitation, farmer leaders have also called upon the farmers and labourers across the country for the ‘rail roko’ protest on March 10.

They have announced a countrywide ‘rail roko’ protest from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Farmers’ body Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which spearheaded the 2020-21 agitation, has also announced a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Delhi on March 14.

The SKM said that over 400 farmers’ outfits will participate in the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Delhi Police Step Up Vigil

The Delhi Police has directed its personnel to ensure strict vigil at the Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders in view of the farmers’ protest.

Additional police and paramilitary forces have also been deployed at railway and metro stations and bus stands.

The police said checking will be intensified at various locations and that there may be traffic congestion in the capital.

New Delhi:

Farmers protesting at two border points between Punjab and Haryana will resume their “Delhi Chalo” march today after they rejected the Centre’s proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years.

Thousands of farmers, who began their march to Delhi on February 13, were stopped at the Haryana border, where they clashed with security personnel. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri points between Punjab and Haryana since then.

Here are the LIVE updates on the farmers’ protests:

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