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‘MSP isn’t dead’: Union ministers clarify on agricultural bills amid farmers’ protest

As farmers’ protests against the Centre’s agricultural Bills continue, ministers of the central government have started to clarify and appealed to the farmers not to fall victims to misinformation about the agriculture laws. The minimum support price (MSP) fixed for farmers to buy crops has not been abolished and the new agricultural law is in the interest of farmers.

Taking to microblogging website Twitter, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted, “Don’t misunderstand the agriculture law. The farmers of Punjab sold more paddy in the mandi than last year and sold it at more MSP. MSP is also alive and the market is also alive and government procurement is also happening,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

On the other hand, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also tweeted, saying that the Mandis will continue to work like before.

“The new agricultural laws do not abolish APMC mandis. The mandis will continue to operate as before. The new laws have given farmers the freedom to sell their crops anywhere. Whoever gives the best price to the farmers will be able to buy the crop whether it is in the market or outside the market,” Prasad tweeted in Hindi.

Meanwhile, border areas around Delhi are witnessing blockades as the farmers’ protests continue. Tikri and Singhu (Delhi-Haryana) borders have been closed for any traffic movement, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Monday.

Farmers also stayed put at the Gazipur-Ghaziabad (Delhi-UP) border on Sunday late night and a group of farmers was seen sleeping on the road while others were seen sitting closely in a group around a bonfire in the cold winter night. Uttarakhand farmers joined the ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest against the farm laws and arrived at Ghazipur.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait has told ZEE NEWS that government’s intentions are being questioned amidst the protest. A solution will be found when the government’s intention is clear. Burari is not a White House that farmers should go there, he said.

Talks with the government on farmers’ terms

The government is ready to negotiate, but the farmers are adamant that the talks will take place at the Delhi border. The farmers are neither going to the protest venue decided by the Delhi Police nor are they moving from the Delhi border. After this announcement by the farmers, the tension of the government has increased.

After a meeting of farmer organizations on Sunday, the farmers made it clear that they will not go to Burari for the protests and would agitate at five points in Delhi. The farmers demand that the government unconditionally negotiate with them and allow them to agitate at Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar.

Farmers adamant on Delhi Border

Notably, farmers’ agitation is underway at the Singhu border of Delhi and the Tikri border of Delhi-Bahadurgarh. Apart from this, farmers are also protesting at Delhi Gate. However, there is no traffic jam of any kind on the Delhi-Gurugram border. The farmers are now introducing a new slogan ‘Delhi ghero’, not ‘Delhi Chalo’.

Source: dnaindia.com