Anti-social elements are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of farmers' movement under the guise of peasants, the government said on Friday even as the protesters decided to intensify their agitation against the newly-enacted agricultural reform laws.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar appealed to farmers' unions to be vigilant against their platform being misused.
"Anti-social elements are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the peasant movement under the guise of farmers," he said tagging a media report about posters coming up at farmers' Tikri Border protest site demanding release of some activists arrested under various charges.
The minister said the government is sensitive towards farmers and is in discussion with their representatives. “The proposals to resolve farmers' issues have been sent to their unions. The government is ready for further discussion,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Food, Railway and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal alleged that certain Leftist and Maoist elements seem to have taken "control" of the agitation and rather than discussing on farmer issues, they seem to be having some other agenda.
Earlier, photos of protesters at the Tikri Border had gone viral in which they were seen holding posters demanding the release of writers, intellectuals and rationalists, arrested under various charges, on the occasion of the Human Rights Day.
The government's warning came on a day when the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the opposition parties have been inciting the farmers for selfish political interests.
The party has decided to hold nationwide programmes, including 'chaupals' in rural areas, to highlight the benefits of three farm laws. Party sources told PTI that events, including press conferences and public programmes, will be held in most of the over 700 districts of the country in this regard.
Multiple rounds of talks between the farmers’ representatives and a team of Union ministers have failed to make any breakthrough so far with the former sticking to their demands.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi against the new farm laws for the last 13 days.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020 were passed by Parliament in September.
The three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The Centre has repeatedly asserted that these mechanisms will remain.
