Talk to the farmers, Gehlot urges Centre

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday demanded that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government initiate a dialogue immediately with the farmers staging the ‘Dilli chalo’ march in protest against the Centre's agriculture sector laws.

With Delhi borders at Gurugram and Faridabad being sealed and the agitating farmers braving tear gas and water cannons in Haryana, Mr. Gehlot said the Centre should understand the sensitivity of the situation, as all farmers’ organisations across the country had come together for the movement.

“Instead of resolving their woes, the government is up in arms against its own people... Farmers are protesting against the black farm laws,” Mr. Gehlot tweeted, while pointing out that the NDA government's “anti-people policies” had led to various sections of the society coming out to oppose it.

In Congress-ruled Rajasthan, farmers observed a strike at all the Krishi Upaj Mandis and fruit markets and forced closure of the Food Corporation of India's godowns. The Assembly had on November 2 passed three Bills to stop the applicability of the Centre's farm laws in the State through the amendments making the Central Acts ineffective in certain respects.

Rajasthan is the second State after Punjab to formally reject the Centre's farm Acts, which are being opposed by large sections of agriculturists across the country. The Punjab Assembly had passed the similar Bills as well as a resolution against the Central legislations last month.