Maharashtra Guv to not meet farmers owing to Goa visit amid Sharad Pawar's dig at Koshyari

On Monday, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari declined to meet farmers protesting against the three agrarian laws owing to his pre-scheduled visit to Goa. Thousands of farmers from different districts of Maharashtra had gathered for a rally at Azad Maidan in Mumbai after which they planned a march towards the Raj Bhavan to hand over a memorandum to the Governor. In Koshyari's absence, his Principal Secretary Santosh Kumar has agreed to accept the farmers' representation in his office at the Raj Bhavan.

A day earlier, Kumar wrote to Prakash Reddy of the Sanyukt Shetkari Morcha (Maharashtra) had intimating him of the same. Incidentally, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar lashed out at the Maharashtra Governor during his address to farmers. The former Maharashtra CM lamented that Koshyari was not personally coming to Azad Maidan for meeting farmers.

Read: Farmer Leaders Make Arrangements, Issue Instructions To Ensure Peaceful Tractor Rally

Read: CWC Passes Resolutions Backing COVID-19 Vaccination, Demanding Repeal Of Three Farm Laws

The impasse over farm laws

The talks between the Union government and the farmers' unions have come to a standstill amid the protests against The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. This development comes after the associations refused to agree to the Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years.

While the 12th round of talks on January 22 lasted for nearly 5 hours, the farmers claimed that the two sides sat face-to-face for less than 30 minutes. Maintaining that there was no problem in the three agrarian laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stated that the Centre had offered to suspend them as a token of respect for farmers. Moreover, he categorically said that the Union government is ready for another meeting only if the farmers want to discuss this proposal. Therefore, no date has been fixed for the next round of talks. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has granted permission to the farm unions to carry out a tractor rally on January 26. 

Read: Congress Lambasts Centre's Offer To Unions On Farm Laws; Reiterates 'repeal' Demand