Farmer leaders will see reason, call off protest, says Piyush Goyal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said that the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and exuded confidence that the farmer leaders will see reason and call off their protest. Food Minister Goyal, along with Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai have held four rounds of talks with the farmers' group who are seeking a legal guarantee on MSP (minimum support price).

He said that the government always support farmers and it stands by them.

"Please don't get misled by the propaganda of some people. This government is committed to the interest of farmers and we are totally committed to a bright future for every farmer."


The minister said that he along with the agriculture minister and the Minister of State for Home Affairs had suggested to the farmer leaders on how the government can work with them for a better future for the farming community and to help the country become self-reliant.

"I am confident that they will see reason and call off this protest," Goyal told PTI in an interview.

When asked if any fresh round of talks is scheduled with the agitating farmers, he said engagement with "anybody is a continuous process".

"Even before the protest, we had a regular engagement with farm leaders and...in the future also, we continue to engage with them," he said.

In the fourth round of talks with farmer leaders, a panel of three Union ministers had proposed buying of pulses, maize and cotton crops by government agencies at minimum support prices (MSP) for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers.

The leaders, however, rejected the Centre's proposal stating it was not in farmers' interest.

Farmers from Punjab began their march to Delhi on February 13 but were stopped by security personnel at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab's border with Haryana.

Many protesting farmers have been camping at the Punjab-Haryana border since then as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' march.