Farm laws: Talks only way forward to resolve impasse, Cong behaving like vulture, says Sanjeev Balyan

Asserting that talks are the only way forward to break the impasse between protesting farmers and the central government, Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sanjeev Balyan on Wednesday said that party leaders will reach out to farmers to tell them about the benefits of the farm laws.

He also said that opposition parties are politicising the farmers' agitation against the farm laws and Congress party is behaving like a "vulture."

Balyan, Minister of State (MoS) of mal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, made the statement after convening a meeting at his residence here with Western UP BJP leaders, a day before farmers' proposed "rail rook" programme.

"Being part of the government, it is our duty to talk to farmers and convince them. We will listen to farmers' grievances. We will reach out to them and tell them the benefits of the farm laws. I feel that talks are the only way forward to solve the impasse between farmers and the government," Balyan told .

"Through dialogues, we will be able to end the impasse between the farmers and the government. In a democracy, dialogues are the only way forward to reach a solution. Apart from a conversation, I do not see any other way," he added.

BJP Kisan Morcha national president and MP Rajkumar Chahar, BJP's national vice president Saudan Singh, former Mathura MP Tejveer Singh, and BJP leaders from UP Satya Kumar, Karmaveer Singh, Tejendra Singh, Kamal Singh Malik attended the meeting which lasted for over 3 hours. Farmers mostly from Western Uttar Pradesh are camping at Ghazipur border while protesting against farm laws for nearly three months.

"We discussed farm bills with people from Western UP. The region doesn't have many Mandis. There are only Gur Mandis that will be benefitting small-scale farmers with the exemption of 2.5 per cent tax over gur (jaggery). In a way, contract farming already exists and farm laws have no impact on APMC," he said.

The Lok Sabha MP from UP's Muzaffarnagar alleged that Congress is behaving like a vulture and wants to exploit farmers' agitation.

"Farmers need to understand that political parties are using farmers' agitation platforms for their political benefits," he added.

On being asked if BJP is losing the votes of farmers, Balyan said, "Without farmers, no government has come to power till date. Farmers are our own and the government has been formed for their welfare. The issues which have arisen now will be resolved through talks."

The central government has offered to put the farm laws "on hold" for 12-18 months, an offer rejected by the farmers' unions protesting against the laws. Several rounds of talks have been held with farmers over their demand for the repeal of three new laws.

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: 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.

( With inputs from ANI )