Punjab CM Amarinder Singh to meet Amit Shah tomorrow ahead of Centre's talks with farmers

Just before the fourth round of discussions between the farmers and the Centre tomorrow, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is slated to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the ongoing agitation against the three agrarian laws, as per sources. Top sources have also informed that the Punjab CM will meet Shah at 9:30 am tomorrow in New Delhi. The meeting comes as the agitating farmers refuse to call off the protest and stay put at the borders of the national capital. Earlier, the Punjab CM had revealed that he had held talks with the Home Minister and the Prime Minister on multiple occasions regarding the protests. 

Speaking to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Saturday, the Punjab CM had assured that he would call on the Centre and urge to resolve the issue immediately. "I will certainly talk to them and the Government of India to try and bring a resolution, but the Centre must be ready to respond. I am not saying that you surrender, but there has to be a meeting ground. And I hope the Government of India will because I think that is the impression from the Home Minister and the PM, they want peace," he had said. 

READ | Farmers' Unions To Burn Effigies In Maha, Gujarat On Dec 5 In Protest Against Farm Laws

4th round of talks on Thursday

After the third round of talks between the Centre and farmers' representatives ended inconclusively on Tuesday,  the fourth round of deliberations is scheduled to be held on Thursday at 12 pm. After the meeting on Tuesday, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar remarked that the discussions happened in an 'amicable' environment and added that the Centre appealed to the farmers to form a small committee, which they decided against.

READ | 'We Asked Them To Form A Small Committee': Union Agriculture Min On Talks With Farmers

The three-hour talks with farmers' unions ended inconclusively. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar, MoS Home Ministry Som Prakash and Union Minister Piyush Goyal represented the Centre in the meeting. Thousands of farmers protesting on the outskirts of Delhi have refused to move to the Burari Park, where the Centre has made arrangements for the protestors to continue their demonstrations peacefully. The farmers had rejected the proposal to shift citing Burari Park as an 'open jail'.  

READ | Centre Assures Farmer Unions On Continuity Of APMC & MSP; Offers To Set Up Panel: Sources

Protests across country

Meanwhile, farmers' unions have refused to step back from the agitation until their demands are met. While thousands continue to stay put at the borders of the national capital, several unions and farmers' bodies from across the country have lent their support and held protests in their respective states. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has decided to hold a massive protest against the agrarian laws in Maharashtra on December 3. AIKS Secretary Ajit Navale has stated that the protestors will stage a 'huge protest' and block roads across the state on December 3. Moreover, President of the Krantikari Kisan Union, Darshan Pal has called for burning of effigies throughout the country on December 5. 

READ | Maha Farmers To Hold Protests On Dec 3 Against Farm Laws, Threaten To March To Delhi

The Krantikari Kisan Union has demanded that the Central government call a special Parliament session to repeal the three contentious farm laws. Joining the protest, Lok Sangharsh Morcha leader Pratibha Shinde also threatened the Centre to repeal the laws in contention, or else the 'movement will become huge and the government will fall'. The Lok Sangharsh Morcha has announced burning of effigies in every district of Maharashtra and Gujarat on December 5 to demonstrate against the Central government.