A third round of talks with the central government ended in a stalemate on Thursday, amid the standoff between the protestors and security personnel on the Punjab-Haryana border.
The farmers protest could affect PM Modi s BJP as it threatens their stronghold in the Hindi heartland and their efforts to impress India s southern states.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Farmers have been camping on the outskirts of national capital for over two months in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi s controversial farm laws. Photo: ANI
Farmers protest LIVE updates Day 60: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Monday termed the government s proposal to suspend new farm laws for 1-1.5 years as the best offer and hoped that the protesting farmers unions will soon reconsider it and convey their decision. The talks between the government and 41 protesting farm unions have remained inconclusive even after 11 rounds of discussions. During the 10th round of talks, the government had climbed down and offered a proposal to keep the new laws in abeyance for 1-1.5 years, but it was rejected by the unions.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) members at Ghazipur border during their protest against the new farm laws, in New Delhi
Farmers protest LIVE updates Day 57: The Supreme Court-appointed panel on the new agri laws on Thursday started its consultation process and interacted with 10 farmer organisations from eight states, including Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the day, the second round of meeting between the police and farmer unions regarding the proposed January 26 tractor rally by them remained inconclusive today as the farmers stuck to their demand of taking out the rally on Delhi s busy Outer Ring Road. The government on Wednesday proposed to suspend the three contentious farm laws for one and half years and set up a joint committee to discuss the Acts to end the stalemate, but farmer leaders did not immediately accept the proposal and said they will revert after their internal consultations.