Farmers' protest: 'Can discuss if issues with farm laws expressed point-wise,' says Tomar

Amid the farmers' protest at Janta Mantar against the new farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday said the government is ready to discuss the matter with the farmers if they express their views about the laws point-wise.

"The country has witnessed that these farm laws are beneficial and are in favour of farmers. We have had discussions about these laws. If they express their issues about the laws point-wise, we can discuss it," Tomar told ANI.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MPs have started a protest over the Centre's three farm laws and showed placards to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at the Parliament premises.

Amid the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, farmers are holding a protest at Jantar Mantar today, demanding the scrapping of three new agricultural laws.

Several Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest against the Centre's farm laws in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises on Thursday.

The protest was staged by several MPs of the Congress' Punjab unit. "Save country, save farmers," read the placards that were raised.

Earlier in the day, Congress MPs gave adjournment motion to Lok Sabha to discuss the farm laws today, in the monsoon session of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, heavy security is being deployed at the Singhu border and Tikri Border in view of farmers' protests against Jantar Mantar.

Farmers have been protesting on the 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.

So far, several rounds of talks have been held between the Centre and farmer leaders to break the deadlock between the two parties.