700 press conferences, 700 chaupals: BJP plans farmer outreach to bust myths on farm laws

As the farmers continue to agitate against the 3 contentious farm bills, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has planned a mega outreach programme to shatter myths over agricultural reform laws. According to the news agency, ANI, BJP on Friday announced that it will organise 'press conferences' and 'chaupals' in all districts across the country. PM Modi-led BJP party through these press conferences and chaupals will explain to people how these new farm laws are in the interest of the farmers and the misinformation is being spread by the opposition parties. 

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The ruling party, BJP, has decided to organise 700 press conferences and 700 chaupals in the upcoming days. The saffron party is getting started with the programmes from December 11, Friday itself. This announcement comes when thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have gathered at various Delhi border points to protest against The Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmer (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

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Centre sends proposal to farmers

After Union Home Minister Amit Shah's meeting with farmer leaders, the government sent a proposal offering to make necessary amendments on at least seven issues, including one to allay fears about the weakening of the mandi system. The government said an amendment can be made wherein state governments can register the traders operating outside mandis. States can also impose tax and cess as they used in APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) mandis on them.

A five-member delegation that included former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury met the President seeking a repeal of the farm laws against which thousands of farmers have been protesting on the borders of the national capital.

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On apprehensions about the scrapping of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime and shifting of trade to private players, the government said it is ready to give a written assurance that the existing MSP will continue. 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. 

The farmer leaders, who have been adamant on their demand to scrap the laws, said it was an "insult" to the farmers and they would intensify their agitation by blocking the Jaipur-Delhi and the Delhi-Agra expressways by Saturday, and escalate it to a nationwide protest on December 14 when they will "gherao" BJP ministers and boycott party leaders.

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