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.)

New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday distanced itself from its MP Kangana Ranaut’s fresh comment on the three farm laws that were at the core of the farmers’ protest in 2020. Speaking to reporters in her Lok Sabha constituency of Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, the actor-politician said the laws – rolled back by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in November 2021 after massive agitations – “should be brought back… (and) farmers themselves should demand it”.

“I know this will be controversial… but I feel the farm laws that were repealed should be brought back. The farmers themselves should demand it. They are a pillar of strength for the nation’s development and I want to appeal to them – demand the laws back for your own good,” Kangana Ranaut said.

The BJP, however, said her comments do not represent the party’s views.

Party’s spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the remarks are Ms Ranaut’s “personal statement”.

“Kangana Ranaut is not authorised to make such a statement on behalf of the BJP and it doesn’t depict the BJP’s view on the farm bills,” Mr Bhatia said.

She then responded to Mr Bhatia’s statement and said, “My views on farm laws are personal and they don’t represent the party’s stand on those Bills.”

Absolutely, my views on Farmers Laws are personal and they don’t represent party’s stand on those Bills. Thanks. https://t.co/U4byptLYuc

— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 24, 2024

Ms Ranaut, whose latest film, ‘Emergency’, is fighting for a censor certificate, has already been reprimanded once by the BJP – last month – over earlier remarks on the farmers’ protests. The actor had said that a “Bangladesh-like situation” could have erupted in India during the farmers’ protests if strong measures had not been taken by the Centre.

In 2020, as the farmers’ protests were gathering steam, she allegedly misidentified a woman farmer from Punjab and called her Bilkis Bano.

That swipe resurfaced in June this year after Kangana Ranaut was slapped by a woman CISF officer.

Kangana Ranaut’s Farm Laws Remark Draws Congress, AAP’s Ire

Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacked Kangana Ranaut and vowed that “these black laws will (never be brought back now)… no matter how hard Modi and his MPs try”.

“More than 750 farmers were martyred… only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn. Now BJP MPs are planning to bring them back… but Congress is with the farmers,” party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said.

AAP’s Balbir Singh also took a jibe at the actor.

“Just ask her what are the three farm laws. I can guarantee you she would not be able to answer. All she is doing is comedy. Please don’t take her seriously,” Mr Singh told reporters when asked about Ms Ranaut’s comments.

AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang also spoke to reporters and said that discussing the reinstating of the agricultural laws “is an insult to millions of farmers and the 750 martyred farmers in the country”.

He called on PM Modi to respond and urged him to take immediate action against Ms Ranaut if he “truly” stands with the farmers.

Ms Ranaut’s latest jab comes days before the Assembly election in Haryana, from where lakhs of farmers marched on Delhi and participated in multiple blockades against the city.

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.)