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Tag: Narendra Singh Tomar

  • Tomar appeals to farmers to end stir; Protests held at several places on completion of seven months of agitation

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: As their agitation against the new agri laws completed seven months, farmers tried to march to governors’ residence in several states on Saturday even as Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar appealed to them to end their stir and offered to resume talks on the provisions of the three legislations.

    Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points, claimed that farmers were detained in states like Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana during the protests.

    Terming Tomar’s recent statements as “perplexing and contradictory”, it asserted that farmer leaders are not seeking some “meaningless amendments” in the central farm laws which have “fundamental flaws” and urged the people “to punish the BJP”.

    Security was tightened in the national capital and other cities after the SKM said that representatives of farmers will submit memoranda of their demands, addressed to the President, to governors in various states.

    Hundreds of farmers from interiors of Uttar Pradesh, many of them on tractors, reached Ghazipur on Delhi’s borders to mark the completion of seven months of the protest.

    Led by Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, a group of protesters submitted a memorandum of their demands at the office of DCP Northeast Delhi after a virtual meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

    The farmers then called off their march to Delhi, BKU media incharge Dharmendra Malik said.

    “The memorandum included our demands for the withdrawal of the three new farms laws and for enacting a new law to ensure guarantee for MSP,” he told PTI.

    Farmers from several parts of Haryana gathered at Gurdwara Nada Sahib in Haryana’s Panchkula and headed towards Haryana Raj Bhavan, forcing their way through a layer of barricades, but were stopped at the Chandigarh-Panchkula border where the state police had deployed water cannon and trucks.

    “Where was the need to stop the protestors? It was only a matter of handing over a memorandum to the Governor and not allowing even this much is a reflection of the undeclared emergency and authoritarian times we are going through,” the SKM said in a statement.

    Police used water cannon to stop agitating farmers from Punjab, coming from the Mohali side, but they succeeded in entering Chandigarh after breaking through barricades.

    Farmers from several parts of Punjab had assembled at Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali before moving towards the Punjab Governor House.

    A majority of the protesters were without masks and were not following COVID-appropriate behaviour.

    Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for seven months in protest against the three laws.

    The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

    “I want to convey through your (media) that farmers should end their agitation. Many are in favour of these new laws across the country. Still, some farmers have any issue with provisions of the laws, Government of India is ready to listen and discuss with them,” Agriculture Minister Tomar tweeted.

    His earlier offer to resume talks had failed to break the deadlock as the farmers insisted on the scrapping of the laws and sought a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP).

    Tomar said the government had held 11 rounds of consultations with protesting farmer unions and has increased the MSP and is procuring more quantity at MSP.

    Addressing the protesters at Mohali, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal Rajewal alleged that the central government intended to “hand over farming” to corporate houses.

    Carrying flags of unions and raising slogans against the BJP-led government, protesters, including women and youths, marched towards Chandigarh on tractors and other vehicles or walked on foot.

    They were stopped near sector 17 by police where some buses were parked on the road to prevent protesters from heading towards Punjab Raj Bhavan.

    Rajewal submitted a memorandum to the Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner.

    “The memorandum urges the President Shri Ram Nath Kovind to direct the Union Government to immediately accept the legitimate demands of the farmers’ movement, repeal the three anti-farmer laws and to enact a law that will guarantee remunerative MSP,” the Morcha said in a statement.

    Protesters from the Haryana side, led by Haryana BKU (Chaduni) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Morcha member Yogendra Yadav, gave a memorandum to another official.

    Gangster-turned-activist Lakha Sidhana, who was booked for his alleged involvement in the violence at the Red Fort on Republic Day during a tractor rally, also participated in the farmers’ protests.

    A Delhi court on Saturday granted interim protection from arrest to Sidhana.

    He had moved Delhi’s Tis Hazari court seeking anticipatory bail in the case.

    Additional Sessions Judge Neelofer Abida Perveen posted the matter for July 3 and directed the police to not arrest him until then.

    Sidhana had earlier denied involvement in the Republic Day violence.

    The Morcha said that “Kheti Bachao, Loktantra Bachao Diwas” (save agriculture, save democracy) is being marked all over India on Saturday on the completion of seven months of the farmers’ protests and 46 years after the promulgation of Emergency in India in 1975″.

    The government has maintained it is ready to amend the provisions of the laws.

    The Supreme Court had in January put on hold the implementation of the three laws till further orders and has set up a committee to resolve the row.

    The committee has submitted its report.

    During the 10th round of talks held on January 20, the Centre had offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi’s borders.

    The three laws — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

    Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.

    “Farmers are ready to put in their energies to educate fellow citizens and appeal to them to punish BJP. That is the only lesson that the government seems to be willing to listen to”, the SKM said after Saturday’s protests.

    Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said on Saturday denied reports about the arrest of Tikait and said action will be taken against those spreading such fake news.

  • Union Agri Minister appeals farmers to end 7-month long protest, says ready to resume talks

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As farmers’ protest against the new farm laws entered eighth month, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday appealed to protesting farmers to end their agitation while saying that the government is ready to resume talks on the provisions of three legislations.

    The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

    Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for seven months now in protest against the three laws that they say will end state procurement of crops at MSP.

    The Supreme Court has put on hold the implementation of the three laws till further orders and has set up a committee to find solutions.

    ALSO READ | News of BKU leader Rakesh Tikait’s arrest fake, says Delhi Police

    The committee has submitted its report.

    “I want to convey through your (media) that farmers should end their agitation….Many are in favour of these new laws across the country. Still, some farmers have any issue with provisions of the laws, Government of India is ready to listen and discuss with them,” Tomar tweeted.

    He said the government held 11 rounds of consultations with protesting farmer unions.

    The government has increased the minimum support price (MSP) and is procuring more quantity at MSP.

    Farmers’ protest had started on November 26 last year and has now completed seven months notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic.

    Three union ministers, including Tomar and Food Minister Piyush Goyal, have held 11 rounds of talks with the protesting farmer unions.

    In the last meeting on January 22, the government’s negotiations with 41 farmer groups hit a roadblock as the unions squarely rejected the Centre’s proposal of putting the laws on suspension.

    During the 10th round of talks held on January 20, the Centre had offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi’s borders.

    ALSO READ | Farmers to submit memorandums against agri laws on Saturday; security increased in Delhi

    The three laws — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

    Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.

    On January 11, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann had recused himself from the committee.

    Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) President Anil Ghanwat and agriculture economists Pramod Kumar Joshi and Ashok Gulati are the other members on the panel.

    They have completed the consultation process with stakeholders and submitted the report.

  • Agriculture minister Tomar ready to ‘talk on provisions’ but rules out repeal of farm laws

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday ruled out repealing the three new farm laws but said the government is ready to resume talks with protesting farmer unions on provisions of the legislations.

    The government and unions have held 11 rounds of talks, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

    Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for more than six months in protest against the three laws that they say will end state procurement of crops at MSP.

    The Supreme Court has put on hold the implementation of the three laws till further orders and set up a committee to find solutions.

    “Government of India is ready for talks with farmers. Except for repeal, if any farmers’ union wants to talk on provisions of the Act even at midnight, Narendra Singh Tomar will welcome it,” the agriculture minister said in a video posted on his Twitter account.

    Three union ministers, including Tomar and Food Minister Piyush Goyal, have held 11 rounds of talks with the protesting farmer unions.

    In the last meeting on January 22, the government’s negotiations with 41 farmer groups hit a roadblock as the unions squarely rejected the Centre’s proposal of putting the laws on suspension.

    During the 10th round of talks held on January 20, the Centre had offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.

    5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi’s borders.

    The three laws — The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 — were passed by the Parliament in September last year.

    Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.

    On January 11, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann had recused himself from the committee.

    Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) President Anil Ghanwat and agriculture economists Pramod Kumar Joshi and Ashok Gulati are the other members on the panel.

    They have completed the consultation process with stakeholders.

  • Share objections with logic on agri laws, govt ready to listen, Union Minister Tomar tells farmers

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said the government is ready to resume talks with protesting farmers but asked the unions to point out their objections to the provisions of the three farm laws with sound logic.

    The government and unions have held 11 rounds of talks, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

    Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for more than six months in protest against the three laws that they say will end state procurement of crops at MSP.

    The Supreme Court has put on hold the implementation of the three laws till further orders and set up a committee to find solutions.

    “All political parties of the country wanted to bring the farm laws, but they could not gather courage to bring them. Modi government took this big step in the interest of farmers and brought reforms. Farmers got benefit of that in several parts of the country. But in the meantime farmers agitation started,” Tomar said at a Cabinet briefing.

    He said the government held 11 rounds of talks with farmers and Unions were asked about their objections in the laws and which provisions they think were against farmers.

    “But neither leader of any political party gave its answer in the House (Parliament) nor any farmers’ leader, and the talks did not move forward”.

    ALSO READ: Union Cabinet hikes paddy MSP by Rs 72/quintal to Rs 1,940 for 2021-22 crop year

    The minister said that the government is committed towards farmers and it also respects farmers.

    “So, whenever farmers want discussions, Government of India will be ready for discussion. But we have repeatedly asked them to tell the objections in the provisions with logic. We will listen and find a solution,” Tomar said.

    Three union ministers, including Tomar and Food Minister Piyush Goyal, held 11 rounds of talks with the protesting farmer unions.

    In the last meeting on January 22, the government’s negotiations with 41 farmer groups hit a roadblock as the unions squarely rejected the Centre’s proposal of putting the laws on suspension.

    During the 10th round of talks held on January 20, the Centre had offered to suspend the laws for 1-1.5 years and form a joint committee to find solutions, in return for protesting farmers going back to their respective homes from Delhi’s borders.

    ALSO READ: Only way to end farmers’ protest is govt withdrawing farm laws, says Congress

    Farmer groups have alleged that these laws will end the mandi and MSP procurement systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, even as the government has rejected these apprehensions as misplaced.

    On January 11, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three laws till further orders and appointed a four-member panel to resolve the impasse.

    Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann had recused himself from the committee appointed by the apex court.

    Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) President Anil Ghanwat and agriculture economists Pramod Kumar Joshi and Ashok Gulati are the other members on the panel.

    They have completed the consultation process with stakeholders.

  • Government ready to talk to farmers on issues other than agriculture bills: Tomar

    The BJP leader also dismissed media reports that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be replaced.

  • Chief Minister and Union Minister Tomar arrived to attend the booth conference in favor of BJP candidate

    Both the major political parties are pushing for a high chance to win their candidate in the Damoh assembly by-election. On Friday, again, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Union Minister of Government of India Narendra Singh Tomar reached Damoh to address the booth workers’ conference in favor of BJP candidate Rahul Singh. This conference is being organized in Tehsil Maidan. In which only BJP officials and workers are allowed to participate.

    BJP-Congress leaders are reaching Damoh: Significantly, in the assembly by-elections, many cabinet ministers of the BJP government are present in Damoh at this time. A day earlier, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan addressed the general assembly in Bansa village and in Imlia village, former Chief Minister Uma Bharti addressed the general assembly and appealed to vote in favor of Rahul Singh. Talking about the Congress, 2 days ago, Congress State President and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath had reached Bandakpur and Imlia village to address the general meeting in favor of the Congress candidate. Tomorrow Saturday, former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh is coming to Damoh on a 2-day stay where he will hold a meeting with members and office bearers of several organizations and address the general assembly in favor of the Congress candidate. Apart from this, many former ministers of Congress are camping in Damoh and are holding general meetings in favor of Congress. As the polling date draws near, senior leaders of both political parties are reaching Damoh and are mobilizing support by holding general meetings in favor of their candidate.

  • Union Minister Narendra Tomar receives second dose of COVID-19 vaccine

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was administered the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here on Thursday.

    “Today I took the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. Be afraid of disease, not vaccine. If you are also eligible for the vaccine, then go to http://cowin.gov.in and register today and get vaccinated,” Union Agriculture Minister tweeted.

    Union Agriculture Minister took his first dose of vaccine on March 6.

    Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi.

    India, in a landmark achievement, has administered over 9 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses till now.

    PM Modi flagged off the first phase of the pan-India rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16.

  • Tomar’s remarks on farmers’ protests: Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, Tikait lash out at Centre

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Samkyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting farm unions, on Monday accused Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar of “insulting” farmers by his remarks that mere gathering of a crowd does not lead to revocation of the three farm laws.

    In a statement, the Morcha alleged that the current protests are a consequence of “deep unhappiness” and anger that was allowed to build up in farmers’ minds by the government.

    On Sunday, Tomar had reiterated that the Centre was ready to talk to the farmers protesting against the new agriculture laws, and said that mere gathering of a crowd does not lead to revocation of legislations.

    “Today, farmers are getting support pouring in from all sides, nationally and internationally. The protestors are not a crowd, but our annadatas, thanks to whom we are all alive today, including people in the government.”

    “The party in power collected votes from this very crowd and this sort of insulting attitude towards our farmers is highly condemnable,” the SKM said in statement.

    It also stated, “Tomar insulted the farmers’ movement by saying that ‘laws cannot be repealed by collecting a crowd’.”

    Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points — Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri — for over the last 85 days, demanding a complete of three farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for their crops.

    Morcha in statement congratulated the Khap leaders in several places in Uttar Pradesh for standing in solidarity with the farmers’ movement.

    ALSO READ | Haryana BKU leader Jastej Singh escapes unhurt as bike-borne assailants open fire

    BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said on Monday that the protest against the Centre’s agri-marketing laws could go on for a long time and urged farmers to force “the king of looters” out of Delhi.

    He also accused “the king” of putting a value on bread.

    “He is the last king of looters (luteron ka badshah). He has to be forced out of Delhi,” Tikait said without naming anyone at a “kisan mahapanchayat” in Nohar of Hanumangarh.

    “He does not have any affection towards the flag and the country. He is a businessman,” Tikait added.

    The farmer leader also said a beggar and a businessman do not have affection for the country and the fields as they go wherever they get the right money.

    “A businessman and beggar do not have affection for the country and fields. A beggar will move wherever he gets right money and a trader will do the work where he gets profit,” Tikait said, adding that the fight against the laws could go on for long and till a legislation guaranteeing the minimum support price is enacted, people should remain prepared to march to Delhi.

    Earlier in the day, Tikait at a farmers’ “mahapanchayat” at Haryana’s Sonipat had said when people gather governments get changed.

    Tikait said this a day after Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said in Gwalior that the Centre is ready to talk to the farmers protesting against the new laws and that mere gathering of crowd does not lead to revocation of legislations.

  • Crowd gathering doesn’t lead to revocation of laws: Tomar’s jibe at protesting farmers

    By PTI
    GWALIOR: Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday reiterated that the Centre was ready to talk to the farmers protesting against the new agriculture laws, and said that mere gathering of crowd does not lead to revocation of legislations.

    He urged the agitating farm unions to tell the government which provisions in these new laws they find anti- farmers.

    “Considering the issue with sensitivity, the government has held 12 rounds of talks with the farmer unions. But decisions on the basis of talks could be taken when objections (over the new farm laws) are pointed out,” the Agriculture Minister told reporters here when asked about the protest.

    The unions should tell as to what is anti-farmers in the new laws, he added.

    “You flatly say revoke the laws. It doesn’t happen that crowd gathers and the laws get revoked,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Gherao Delhi cops if they come to arrest you, BKU leader tells farmers as more events announced to escalate protest

    Farmer unions should tell the government what provisions are against the farmers.

    The government is ready to understand this and make amendments even today.

    The prime minister himself has said this, the minister added.

    “Now, if the agitating unions are well-wishers of the farmers, then they should make it clear which provisions are creating problems to them,” he said.

    Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh demanding the rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • Narendra Singh Tomar in poll-bound Assam; says centre is still willing to talk to farmers on agri laws

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said the Centre is still willing to talk to the farmers protesting against the three farm laws.

    Addressing a press conference here, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in Parliament that the government is willing to discuss the three acts clause-by- clause.

    “We are regularly in touch with the protesting farmers. The Government of India is ready to discuss the acts clause-by-clause,” Tomar said.

    When asked specifically if the centre is still willing to talk to the agitating farmers, who have been on borders of Delhi for nearly three months, the minister replied in affirmative.

    ALSO READ | Centre correcting historical mistakes of neglecting Assam through development projects: Modi

    He, however, did comment on when the talks are likely to resume between the two sides.

    Tomar also informed the media that the budget for the next fiscal has proposed a number of schemes for the welfare of the farming community of the country.

    After the 10th round of talks in January end in which the centre proposed to keep the new agri laws in abeyance for 1.5 years, which was not accepted by the agitating farmers, no further talks have taken place between the two sides.

    Farmers leaders are insisting on repeal of the three farm laws and observed countrywide “rail Roko” stir during the day in support of their demands.

    With the Assam expected to go to polls in March-April this year in which the opposition parties are all set to make farmers agitation an election issue, Tomar was in the poll-bound state to count virtues of the new agri legislations to the cultivators.