New Delhi: The Union government of India has invited 40 farm unions for a further round of talks on December 30.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar on Monday said that the Prime Minister is trying to improve the financial condition of farmers and no one can put pressure and influence on him.
The Agriculture Minister while speaking to a group of farmers who support the new farm laws, said, “At the time of the UPA government, Manmohan Singhji and Sharad Pawarji also wanted to enact these laws, but they could not withstand the pressure and influence. So they could not legislate these laws. But we are fortunate that Narendra Modiji is our Prime Minister today,” quoted Indian Express.
He further said, “Modiji has no selfish interest. His single-point program is the development of the country and the welfare of the people. He is fully dedicated to the single-point program of making agriculture prosperous and improving the economic condition of the farmers.”
Tomar also said (roughly translated in English), “When there is a dedication to the purpose, dedication to the country, then no power can exert pressure and influence on the leader.”
His statement came after Prime Minister Modi said that the union government is ready to resume talks but it should be based on logic and facts.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Aggarwal, Union Agriculture Secretary had written a letter to 40 farm union leaders, asked and invited them for the next round of talks on December 30. He said the union government was committed to resolving the “relevant issues rationally” with a “clean intention and an open mind.”
Kulwant Singh Sandhu, General Secretary, Jamhuri Kisan Sabha told The Indian Express, “We will go for the meeting, but the sequence of discussion of items on the agenda will be the same as has been given in our December 26 letter,” Sandhu said. “We have sent an email to the government confirming our participation in the talks.”
The letter from the centre came two days after the protesting farm unions declared their decision to resume talks and proposed December 29 as the next meeting date.