New Delhi: The Centre is ready for talks with protesting farmers who are our "brothers" and "annadaatas", Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday, asserting that the Modi government has taken various steps to ensure higher income for farmers.
At a cabinet briefing, Thakur said the government is committed to doubling farmers' income and has taken several steps toward this end. On whether the issue of farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana borders was discussed during the Cabinet meeting, the minister said the Centre is ready for talks.
"We were ready for talks earlier and are ready even today and will be ready to discuss their issues even in future," he said, adding that, "we have no problem as they are our brothers and are 'annadatas'." Thakur highlighted various steps taken by the Modi government to double farmers' income and achieve higher growth in the agriculture and allied sectors. He said the government has doubled the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and increased the procurement by more than two times.
Meanwhile, the farmer leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri, one of the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told reporters at Shambhu that they will decide the next course of action on Friday evening.
Pandher slammed the Centre and the Haryana security personnel for using "force" against farmers at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders.
A young farmer died while three persons were injured at Khanauri, Pandher said, while claiming that farmers did not indulge in violence. Asked how the youth died, Pandher alleged, "He sustained a bullet injury on his head".
The 21-year-old farmer was killed and a few others injured following a clash between security personnel and protesting farmers at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Pandher said farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has gone to Khanauri to take stock of the situation. He accused the government of trying to derail their agitation.
Another farmer leader alleged that the Haryana security personnel entered their camp in Punjab territory and also used tear gas shells. Nearly 100 farmers were injured, he claimed. Around 25 tractor-trollies, which were parked in Punjab territory, were damaged by the Haryana security personnel, the farmer leader alleged.
Farmer leaders claimed that medicines were lifted and elderly who were sleeping in tractor trollies were beaten up. They demanded that the Punjab government take notice of the Haryana security personnel entering the Punjab territory.
The dead farmer was identified as Subhkaran Singh (21), a resident of Ballo village in Punjab's Bathinda district. Patiala-based Rajindra Hospital's medical superintendent H S Rekhi told reporters that three people, one of them dead, were brought to the hospital from Khanauri. The deceased had an injury to his head and the other two are stable, Rekhi said.
A Haryana Police officer said around 12 police personnel were injured when they were attacked with lathis and stones were thrown.
