Farmers Protest: After the failure of four rounds of talks with the centre over the guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said that Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda has once again proposed to have a dialogue with the agitating farmers and appealed to them to arrive at a solution "peacefully".
Farmers protesting at two borders between Punjab and Haryana resumed their "Delhi Chalo" march on Wednesday after they rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in the national capital, senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done "so much work" for farmers. "Today also, Arjun Munda has promised a discussion (with the protesting farmers). Any solution (to their issues) will come out from dialogue and discussions. The government is open to discussions with the farmers," Prasad said, as quoted by PTI. "We appeal that the solution should come out peacefully," he further stated.
"Our government has done so much work for farmers. Farmers' progress is our priority and would continue to remain so," the former Union minister said.
Earlier in the day, Arjun Munda took to social media platform X and said, "After the fourth round, the government is ready to discuss all the issues like MSP, crop diversification, stubble issue, FIR in the fifth round. I again invite the farmer leaders for discussion. It is important for us to maintain peace".
According to ABP News sources, there is a crowd of about 10 thousand people at the Shambhu border with 1200 tractors and trolleys. The protesting farmers are also carrying two proclaim machines and a JCB machine to break the police barricade. The protestors also have sticks, stones, iron shields, and face masks.
Meanwhile, security forces resorted to tear gas shells as agitating farmers tried to proceed to Delhi from Punjab-Haryana's Shambhu Border.