Most of Delhi borders closed, farmer leaders accuse govt of indulging in divisive agenda: 10 points

The Centre will hold another round of talks with farmers on Thursday, in a bid to end the protest over farm bills that has severely affected traffic movement in and out of Delhi.

The farmers have been protesting near Delhi for more than a week, jamming roads and engaging in confrontation with the police which are guarding the national capital’s borders.

Here are updates on farmers protest and what the government is doing:

• The Delhi Traffic Police tweeted on Thursday morning that the Chilla border on Noida link road is closed for traffic due to farmers protests near Gautam Budh Gate. It also said that people who want to go to Noida from Delhi should use NH-24 and Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway.

• On the Haryana side, Tikri border, Jharoda border and Jhatikra border are closed, according to Delhi Traffic Police. “Available open borders to Haryana are following: Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera borders.”

• Meanwhile, a delegation of farmers will meet Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday. A spokesperson of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), which is spearheading the protest, said on Wednesday that all farmer organisations across the country should hit the streets now.

• Several farmers from different parts of the country like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are marching towards Delhi to join the protest against new farm laws.

• Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh will meet Union home minister Amit Shah at his residence on Thursday, ahead of the talks between the Centre and farmer leaders. Singh will hold deliberations with Shah in a bid to work out an amicable solution to the deadlock.

• The Punjab chief minister and his Congress party have been supporting the farmers’ stir and the state Assembly had also passed a set of bills aimed at negating the Centre’s farm legislation.

• The Centre has, however, maintained that the new farm laws, passed by Parliament in September, are in the interest of farmers. Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the reforms have been done after a long wait and the government is ready to address their concerns.

• The leaders of the protesting farmers wrote to Tomar on Wednesday, demanding a special session of Parliament to repeal the new farm laws and asking the government to not “indulge in divisive agenda” to break farmers’ unity.

• The government had held talks with farmer representatives on Tuesday. But the outcome remained inconclusive as farmer unions rejected the government’s offer to set up a committee and said they will continue their protest.

• The farmers are protesting against 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.