Spearheading the ongoing farmers' protest, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, leader of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), said on Wednesday the readiness for discussions with the Centre regarding their key demands, notably a legal assurance for the minimum support price (MSP). Dallewal's statement follows recent media reports suggesting Union Minister Anurag Thakur's acknowledgment of the Centre's readiness for talks to address the farmers' concerns.
Speaking at the Shambhu border, Dallewal told news agency PTI, "We do not want to give any room to the Centre for saying that it was inviting us, but they did not accept it. That we have accepted and we are ready for talks."
He noted that the farmer leaders have secured the consent of fellow farmers for engaging in discussions. "After taking their consent, we will hold talks," he was quoted as saying by PTI, underscoring the priority for discussions to occur in Chandigarh.
Responding to a question about an official invitation, Dallewal noted that, as of now, no invitation has been received for a dialogue. Despite this, he urged a receptive stance, saying, "If they (the Centre) have given an invitation after seeing all this and said they are ready to resolve their issues then we should hear them".
According to a PTI report, Dallewal further criticised the Centre for the reported police actions against protesting farmers at the Punjab and Haryana borders. However, he refuted claims by Haryana Police that the protesters had thrown stones at security personnel.
The farmer leaders have engaged in two previous rounds of talks with the government, the first with Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai, and the second with Goyal and Munda in Chandigarh. Both discussions, however, remained inconclusive.
The 'Delhi Chalo' movement, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, persists to exert pressure on the Centre for various demands, including a law ensuring minimum support prices, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act 2013, withdrawal from the World Trade Organization, and compensation for families of deceased farmers from previous protests, among other issues.