Farmers Vow To Intensify Agitation By Blocking Delhi Borders & Nationwide Protest; Deadlock Enters 15th Day

Farmers have vowed to intensify their agitation by blocking key highways linking Delhi and a nationwide protest on December 14.

New Delhi: Farmers raise slogans at the Singhu border during their 'Delhi Chalo' protest against the new farm laws, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist)(PTI09-12-2020_000185B)

Farmers' Protest News: Farmers of the country who have protesting against the new farm laws of the Centre since the last 15 days, have said that their agitation will intensify in days to come. The development comes in the wake of the Centre’s proposal to amend the new reforms, which was out-and-out rejected by the group of protesting farmers.  Several rounds of talks between the two parties have failed to yield results and the farmer remain adamant on their demand of a complete rollback of the contentious agrarian laws. The protests that have shaken the national capital region are expected to intensify as farmers said they would now seal Delhi entry points and will call for a nationwide agitation again. Here are the latest developments. Farmers said they will be blocking the Jaipur-Delhi and the Delhi-Agra expressways by Saturday. They said their protests would further escalate to a countrywide protest on December 14. After Union Home Minister Amit Shah's meeting with farmer leaders last night, the government sent the proposal offering to make necessary amendments on at least seven issues, including one to allay fears about the weakening of the mandi system. The Shiromani Akali Dal alleged that the Centre packaged "old wine in a new bottle" and said the farmers have rightly rejected the proposal. Addressing a press conference, farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka said there was nothing new in the government's proposal, and that it was "completely rejected" by the 'Sanyukta Kisan Committee' in its meeting on Wednesday. Darshan Pal, a farmer leader said that the new draft contained what had already been proposed to them by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in his previous meetings with farmer leaders. He said the protesters will block all highways to the national capital on December 14, and gherao district headquarters, and also BJP district offices. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar met Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the next course of action after farmer leaders rejected the Centre's draft proposal. The Opposition, which has been supporting the farmers' stir and had backed Tuesday's 'Bharat bandh', approached President Ram Nath Kovind seeking repeal of the farm laws against which thousands of farmers have been protesting on the borders of the national capital.