E-Paper
Opposition parties back Bharat Bandh, Sharad Pawar to meet President on December 9 | 10 points
A letter written by Pawar in 2010 to then Dekhi CM Shiela Dikshit surfaced on social media in which Pawar, as the agriculture minister, had urged the CMs to amend the APMC Act in their states to allow private sector.
The ongoing protest by the farmers against the three farm bills went from strength to strength on Sunday as several political parties, including the Congress, Shiv Sena, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, extended support to the nationwide strike on December 8, a day before the next round of talks are held between the two parties. The protest, which entered its 11th day on Sunday, has so far been limited within Punjab, Haryana, Delhi. But with more farmers marching towards Delhi, and farmers’ unions of other states, trade, transport, bank unions extending their support to the protest, the impact of the nationwide strike will be felt far and wide.
Here are the top 10 updates of the protest:
1. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, DMK chief M K Stalin and PAGD chairman Farooq Abdullah also issued a joint statement backing the proposed day-long strike. The Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, TRS, DMK, SP, AAP, Trinamool Congress, RJD, JJM and the Left parties have supported the strike.
2. Not only opposition parties, NDA allies also came forward to support the farmers. The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) supported the bandh call. Another BJP ally that has supported the protest is Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which however refrianed from joining hands for the nationwide shutdown.
3. NCP chief and former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will meet President Ram Nath Kovind on December 9. Meanwhile, a letter written by Pawar in 2010 to then Dekhi CM Shiela Dikshit surfaced on social media in which Pawar, as the agriculture minister, had urged the CMs to amend the APMC Act in their states to allow private sector.
4. BJP general secretary BL Santosh shared an old newspaper article on Twitter which claimed farmers wanted coporators to procure wheat. Hitting out at the protesting farmers, he wrote, “This was in 2008 . Farmers of Punjab & Haryana demanding allowing of corporates in agri marketing . Just understand the duplicity of the same unions now.”
5. India’s first Olympic medallist in boxing and party leader Vijender Singh threatened to return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the central government does not withdraw the farm laws.
6. Actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) also extended support to the protest by farmers. A 10-member team will reach Delhi on Monday to meet the farmers.
7. Minister of state for agriculture Kailash Choudhury said on Sunday that the laws will not be repealed. Amendments can be made if necessary, he said.
8. With protests being intensified, Delhi’s Singhu, Auchandi, Piao Maniyari and Mangesh borders remained closed o Sunday.
9. Sunny Deol, BJP MP from Punjab’s Gurdaspur, on Sunday said he stands both with the party and with the farmers. The government always thinks of farmers’ betterment, the actor-turned-politician tweeted.
10. Services that are likley to be disrupted on Tuesday include the supply of milk, vegetables and grocery, transport and banking.
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 — the acts that they apprehend will corporatise farming.
