Talk to Centre directly, government always ready to discuss legitimate issues: Haryana CM ML Khattar urges agitating farmers

NEW DELHI: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday (November 27, 2020) sought to assure the agitating farmers that the central government is always ready for talks with them and a solution can come out through the dialogue.

Khattar extended the assurance amid farmers from Punjab and Haryana striving to reach the national capital as part of their “Delhi Chalo” march to protest against the three farm laws passed by the Centre recently. 

Khattar appealed to farmers to directly talk to the Centre regarding their legitimate issues. “The central government is always ready for talks,” Khattar said in a tweet.

“I appeal to farmer brothers to directly talk to the Centre for all their legitimate issues,” he added.

केंद्र सरकार बातचीत के लिए हमेशा तैयार है।

मेरी सभी किसान भाइयों से अपील है कि अपने सभी जायज मुद्दों के लिए केंद्र से सीधे बातचीत करें। आन्दोलन इसका जरिया नहीं है- इसका हल बातचीत से ही निकलेगा

— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) November 27, 2020

Khattar told farmers that the path of stir cannot be a medium for the resolution of problems and asserted that a solution will emerge from talks. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday welcomed the Union government's decision allowing farmers to enter the national capital and hold peaceful agitation.

Earlier in the day, agitating farmers at the Delhi-Haryana Singhu border had pelted stones and broke barricades as they clashed with Delhi Police which used tear gas shells to disperse them.

Police said farmers have been allowed to hold a peaceful protest at the Nirankari Ground in north Delhi. "I welcome the Centre's decision to allow farmers to enter Delhi to exercise their democratic right to protest. They should also now initiate immediate talks to address farmers' concerns on the #FarmLaws and resolve the simmering issue," Amarinder Singh said in a tweet.

Punjab farmers' bodies said that officials of the Union Home Ministry had allowed them a place in Delhi to hold the agitation. "We have been allowed safe passage to Delhi," claimed Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal. Farmers had demanded that they be allowed to hold their protest at the Ramlila ground but the Delhi Police had denied the request.

The Punjab Chief Minister slammed the ML Khattar-led government in Haryana for its continued use of ‘brute force’ to stop farmers even after the Union government's conciliatory move.

Despite heavy security deployment, groups of agitating farmers from Punjab and Haryana reached near two Delhi borders on Friday morning after breaking police barricades on the way.

The Delhi Police had enhanced deployment of security personnel, stationed sand-laden trucks and water cannons and used barbed wire for fencing at the Singhu and Tikri border points to prevent the protesters from entering the city.

Farmers have been protesting against the Centre's farm laws, fearing that the new laws would lead to the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporates.

They have been demanding the repeal of these laws. The Centre has invited several Punjab farmers outfits for another of talks in Delhi on December 3.