Responding to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s statement that 50 per cent of the farmers’ demands had been met, farmers’ union leaders said Centre agreed to only 10 per cent of their demands but 90 per cent still remain.
“Our agitation against the agri laws is getting bigger and bigger the government has started feeling the heat,” Gurnam Singh Chaduni, the Haryana BKU chief told reporters.
The government and farmer unions reached some common ground to resolve the protesting farmers’ concerns over a rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also expressed surprise at Tomar’s statement.
“I was surprised to hear Tomar’s statement. The proposed Electricity Amendments, 2020, it is not even a Bill as of now. The environment ordinance is again not even a Bill as of now. The main demand is repeal and hence against the Union minister’s claim of agreeing to 50 per cent demands, I must say that it is still zero per cent as we want repeal of laws for which farmers started this protest,” he said.
The ‘Delhi Chalo’ farmers’ protest at border points of New Delhi has entered the 37th day on Friday.
