Sharad Pawar addresses farmers at Azad Maidan; asks 'Has PM enquired about protesters?'

Slamming the Centre's refusal to rollback the Farm Laws, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday, asked why PM Modi had not enquired about the farmers who were protesting at Delhi borders for over 60 days. Addressing the assembled farmers at Mumbai's Azad maidan, he asked if the farmers belonged to Pakistan. Thousands of farmers across Maharashtra have assembled at Mumbai to participate in a rally at the state capital the Centre's three new farm laws.

Maha: Thousands of farmers reach Mumbai for Jan 25 rally

Pawar: 'Are these farmers from Pakistan?'

Lashing out Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, he added, "You are going to Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor. Maharashtra has never seen such a Governor before. He has the time to meet Kangana (Ranaut) but not the farmers. It is the moral responsibility of the Governor to come here and meet you."

Farmer leaders make arrangements, issue instructions to ensure peaceful tractor rally

15,000 farmers throng Mumbai

The All India Kisan Sabha's (AIKS) Maharashtra unit in a statement said around 15,000 farmers had set out for the state capital from Nashik on Saturday in several tempos and other vehicles. NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena has backed this movement as NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray and Congress state chief Balasaheb Thorat will be addressing the gathering. On the way, hundreds of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-affiliated factory workers from Igatpuri and Shahapur tehsils welcomed the farmers by showering flowers. The farmers then proceeded towards the Azad Maidan, where the joint sit-in protest by the Samyukta Shetkari Kamgar Morcha (SSKM) began on Sunday and will continue till the Republic Day.

The main demands of the protesters include repeal of the three "anti-farmer" laws, and a central law guaranteeing remunerative MSP and procurement. The government has deployed nine platoons of State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) apart from 100 officers and 500 constables of the Mumbai police. The protesters have also decided to hoist the national flag at the Azad Maidan on the occasion of the Republic day on January 26, and take a pledge to make the struggle of peasants and workers successful and plan to rally to Raj Bhavans (governor houses) in states.

Congress MP Ravneet Bittu prevented by farmers from joining protest at Singhu border

Centre-Farmers' talk stall

After 11 rounds of Centre-farmer talks, the two parties to reach a middle ground on Friday after a five-hour meeting with the associations refusing to agree to the Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years. . Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar categorically said that the Union government is ready for another meeting only if the farmers want to discuss this proposal. Meanwhile, the protesting farmers have come to an agreement with the Delhi police to hold their Republic Day tractor rallies beginning from Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders - proceed towards Haryana or Uttar Pradesh before returning back to the starting points. Protests have continued for 62 days till date.

All Punjab AAP MLAs to move to Delhi on January 25 on tractors to support farmers' parade