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Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda on Wednesday offered to continue the dialogue for an “amicable solution” with the farmers unions but there was no forward movement on two of their key demands -- legally guaranteed MSPs and implementation of Swaminathan formula.
Munda in a video message invited the leaders for the fifth round of talks on all issues.
During the day a farmer was killed and a few others injured on the Punjab-Haryana borders at Shambhu and Khanauri after protesters tried to break the barricades to resume their ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation as Haryana Police fired tear gas shells. The deceased farmer has been identified as Subhkaran Singh (21) of Baloke village in Punjab’s Bathinda district.
The Rajasthan government also detained Kisan Mahapanchayat leader Rampal Jat early in the morning as he was scheduled to lead a 500-tractor march to Delhi from Tonk district in support of MSP demand.
Tractor rally
In western Uttar Pradesh, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leaders announced to hold tractor rally on February 26-27 and threatened to call for boycott of political leaders at village level if they are prevented from going to Delhi. A farmer in Muzfarnagar of UP also tried to immolate himself at a protest gathering.
Farmer leaders from all unions have rejected the Centre’s proposal in the fourth round of talks and announced to continue the march. Punjab farmers are also been called in more numbers to reach at the border camps.
Even as the Centre proposed during talks with farmers to procure tur, urad, masur, maize and cotton for five years at MSPs if farmers diversify, it has already rolled out the scheme for procurement of tur and maize crops and is likely to extend it to urad, masur and cotton, soon.
As heavy earthmoving equipment, including excavators, and decorated tractors are seen at the protest sites, Haryana Police has already wrote to Punjab Police cautioning that those might be used to break barricades.
Addressing protesters at Shambhu border, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal appealed them to maintain peace. He accused the Centre of indulging in “delaying tactics” on the demands.
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