Protesting farmers stay put in severe Delhi cold as talks with government remain deadlocked
New Delhi: Thousands of farmers dug in their heels at protest venues outside several Delhi gateways, undeterred by the biting cold and firm in their resolve to not return home till their demands are met, as the New Year dawned with the minimum temperature dipping to 1.1 degrees Celsius.
The government and the farm unions had reached some common ground on Wednesday to resolve the protesting farmers' concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning, but the two sides remained deadlocked over the main contentious issues of the repeal of three farm laws and a legal guarantee for MSP.
After the sixth round of negotiations between three union ministers and a 41-member representative group of thousands of farmers protesting on Delhi borders, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said at least 50 per cent resolution has been reached with mutual agreement on two out of four items on the agenda and discussions would continue on the remaining two on January 4.
Security remained tight at the national capital's borders with hundreds of personnel deployed at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri border points, where the farmers have been camping for more than a month now, braving the severe Delhi winter.
The city recorded a minimum temperature of 1.1 degrees Celsius on Friday, the lowest in 15 years for the month of January.
Meanwhile, the Samkyukt Kisan Morcha is likely to meet during the day to discuss its next course of action. There is, however, no question of withdrawing from the two issues which are legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) and repealing of the farm laws, senior farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni has said.
"The government has addressed our demands to drop penal provisions against farmers in an ordinance relating to stubble burning and to put on hold a proposed electricity amendment law," he said.
"But, we want to make it clear that there is no alternative to our two remaining demands which include repeal of the three agriculture laws and legal guarantee for MSP," Chaduni added.
The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, one of the protesting farm unions, has issued a statement saying the Centre's appeal to farmer leaders to suggest an alternative to repeal of the laws is impossible.
"The new laws will hand over control of agriculture markets, farmers' land and food chain to corporates," it added.
The sixth round of talks was originally scheduled for December 9 but it was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Amit Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough
The protests have also led to traffic congestions, forcing the police to divert vehicular movement.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, the Delhi Traffic Police alerted commuters about the routes that remained closed owing to the agitation and suggested them to take alternative roads.
"Tikri, Dhansa Borders are closed for any Traffic Movement. Jhatikara Borders is open only for LMV (Cars/ Light Motor Vehicles), two wheelers and pedestrian movement," it tweeted.
"The Chilla and Ghazipur Borders are closed for traffic coming from Noida & Ghaziabad to Delhi because of farmer protests. Please take alternate route for coming to Delhi via Anand Vihar, DND, Apsara, Bhopra & Loni Borders.
"Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Saboli & Mangesh borders closed. Please take alternate route via Lampur Safiabad, Palla & Singhu school toll tax borders.Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road. Please avoid Outer Ring Road, GTK Road & NH-44," it said in a series of tweets.
"Available Open Borders to Haryana are Jharoda (Only Single Carriageway/Road), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera Borders," the Delhi Traffic Police said in another tweet.
Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middleman and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.
However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of MSP and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.
The government has repeatedly asserted that the MSP and mandi systems will stay and has accused the Opposition of misleading the farmers.
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Operation Sindoor: India carries out military strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan, PoK
New Delhi (PTI): Retaliating against the Pahalgam terror attack two weeks ago, Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including in Bahawalpur, a stronghold of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The military strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor, the defence ministry said in a statement at 1.44 am. It said the actions by the Indian armed forces were "focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature".
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed the Indian missile strikes an "act of war" and said his country has every right to give a "befitting reply".
The Indian statement said, "A little while ago, the Indian Armed forces launched 'Operation Sindoor' hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed."
"No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution," it said.
Sources added that the strikes on all nine targets were successful and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring Operation Sindoor closely.
Among the nine sites targeted are the JeM headquarters in Bahawalpur and the Lashkar-e-Taiba's in Muridke, both in Pakistan Punjab, officials said.
India's actions come two weeks after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that triggered widespread outrage in India and abroad.
"These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered," the defence ministry statement said.
"We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable," it said.
In a post on 'X' in Hindi shortly after the strikes, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Long live Mother India!" (Bharat Mata Ki Jai)".
"Justice is Served," the Indian Army said in its post.
Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said missile strikes were fired by India at Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Bahawalpur.
Some time ago, India launched air strikes in in Bahwalpur's Ahmed East area, Kotli and Muzaffarabad at three places from the air, he told ARY News channel.
"All of our air force jets are airborne. This cowardly and shameful attack was carried out from within India's airspace. They were never allowed to come and intrude into the space of Pakistan," he said.
"Let me say it unequivocally: Pakistan will respond to this at a time and place of its own choosing. This heinous provocation will not go unanswered," he added.
Sources in the Indian military establishment said all air defence units have been put on alert along the frontier with Pakistan.
Following the operation, India reached out to several leading countries, including the US, Russia, the UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia and briefed them about the military strike on the nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir, the sources said.
"Senior Indian officials have spoken to their counterparts in a number of countries to brief them on the steps taken by India," said a source.
The operation came days after Modi gave the armed forces full freedom to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass, the prime minister on April 29 gave the armed forces "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
Modi also emphasised the national resolve to deal a "crushing blow to terrorism".
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweets, "#OperationSindoor"
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
(Video Source: Kiren Rijiju/X) pic.twitter.com/kdBY2xeHqN
#WATCH | Visuals from an undisclosed location in J&K as the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.… pic.twitter.com/3D20pDXkND
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
