Talks with Union ministers remain inconclusive, farmers to go ahead with ‘Delhi Chalo’ march

PTI, Feb 13, 2024, 8:07 AM IST

Police personnel stand guard during traffic restrictions near Shambhu Border ahead of the scheduled march by the protesting farmers towards Delhi. (Credit: PTI Photo)

Chandigarh: A team of Union ministers on Monday evening held talks here with farmer leaders in a bid to dissuade them from their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, but the meeting remained inconclusive with a farmer leader asserting that they will go ahead with the protest.

In the meeting, the Centre is learnt to have agreed to withdraw the cases against the farmers registered during the 2020-21 agitation, sources said.

However, sources said, farmer leaders were adamant on a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops, which is one of their key demands.

The ministers — Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda — held the second round of talks with the farmer leaders at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, among others, were part of the meeting, which began at around 6:30 pm.

After the meeting ended just before midnight, Pandher said farmers would go ahead with the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Tuesday.