Protests against farm laws: Farmers want all 500 organisations to be called after govt agrees to talk

After the farmers refused to buy any condition from the central government, which is facing the biggest protests in years, Union Agricultural Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has offered to talk two days before the scheduled date Nov 3.

However, the government is likely to convey to the protesters that the new farm laws will not be repealed, something completely opposite to the demands of the agitating farmers from agro-based states Punjab and Haryana.

Meanwhile, the protests have forced Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the second most important person in the Narendra Modi government, to skip an important event.

One of the Centre's new farm laws will now allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market.

However, farmers and opposition leaders criticised the Centre's move stating small peasants will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited.

Undeterred by the agitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Opposition of spreading lies and falsehoods leading to the ignition of the protest.

Modi said at an event in Varanasi, "The new farm laws will provide new alternatives and new legal protections to the farmers. The new farm laws' implementation doesn't mean discarding the old system."

"If someone thinks that the earlier system is better, how is this law stopping anyone, bhai?" he added, in a bid to assure the protesting farmers that the new open market system will not mean the end to the traditional mandis and minimum support prices fixed (MSP) by the government.

"India's farm produce is famous across the world. This is a big market and it means more money -- shouldn't they (the farmers) have this in reach?" the PM asked, adding: "Now all small farmers can opt for legal protection to save themselves from manipulation and corruption."

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the country's main opposition party Congress, has been attacking the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the PM over the issue and Tuesday was no exception to it.

In a renewed attack on Modi, Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday morning, "People who provide food to people are protesting on roads and grounds while liars are lecturing on television. We are indebted to the hard work of farmers..."

"Wake up, leave your ego, think and give the rights of farmers," the Congress MP added.