Opposition parties back Bharat Bandh, Sharad Pawar to meet President on Dec 9 | 10 points

The ongoing protest by the farmers towards the three farm payments went from power to power on Sunday as a number of political events, together with the Congress, Shiv Sena, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, prolonged assist to the nationwide strike on December 8, a day earlier than the following spherical of talks are held between the 2 events. The protest, which entered its 11th day on Sunday, has thus far been restricted inside Punjab, Haryana, Delhi. But with extra farmers marching in the direction of Delhi, and farmers’ unions of different states, commerce, transport, financial institution unions extending their assist to the protest, the influence of the nationwide strike will likely be felt far and large.

Here are the highest 10 updates of the protest:

1. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPI(M) common secretary Sitaram Yechury, DMK chief M Okay Stalin and PAGD chairman Farooq Abdullah additionally issued a joint assertion backing the proposed day-long strike. The Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, TRS, DMK, SP, AAP, Trinamool Congress, RJD, JJM and the Left events have supported the strike.

 

2. Not solely opposition events, NDA allies additionally got here ahead to assist the farmers. The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) supported the bandh name. Another BJP ally that has supported the protest is Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which nevertheless refrianed from becoming a member of fingers for the nationwide shutdown.

3. NCP chief and former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will meet President Ram Nath Kovind on December 9. Meanwhile, a letter written by Pawar in 2010 to then Dekhi CM Shiela Dikshit surfaced on social media through which Pawar, because the agriculture minister, had urged the CMs to amend the APMC Act of their states to permit non-public sector.

 

4. BJP common secretary BL Santosh shared an previous newspaper article on Twitter which claimed farmers wished coporators to obtain wheat. Hitting out on the protesting farmers, he wrote, “This was in 2008 . Farmers of Punjab & Haryana demanding allowing of corporates in agri marketing . Just understand the duplicity of the same unions now.”

 

5. India’s first Olympic medallist in boxing and occasion chief Vijender Singh threatened to return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the central authorities doesn’t withdraw the farm legal guidelines.

6. Actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) additionally prolonged assist to the protest by farmers. A 10-member workforce will attain Delhi on Monday to satisfy the farmers.

7. Minister of state for agriculture Kailash Choudhury mentioned on Sunday that the legal guidelines won’t be repealed. Amendments will be made if vital, he mentioned.

8. With protests being intensified, Delhi’s Singhu, Auchandi, Piao Maniyari and Mangesh borders remained closed o Sunday.

9. Sunny Deol, BJP MP from Punjab’s Gurdaspur, on Sunday mentioned he stands each with the occasion and with the farmers. The authorities all the time thinks of farmers’ betterment, the actor-turned-politician tweeted.

 

10. Services which can be likley to be disrupted on Tuesday embody the availability of milk, greens and grocery, transport and banking.

The farmers are protesting towards the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 — the acts that they apprehend will corporatise farming.