Govt postpones 10th round of talks with farmers' leaders to January 20

New Delhi: The next round of talks between the representatives of farmers and the Centre has been deferred by a day and will now be held on Wednesday, reports said on Monday. The 10th round of meeting with farmers' unions was scheduled for Tuesday. News agencies cited officials of the Union Agriculture ministry saying that the talks have been postponed to Wednesday.

Asserting that the new farm laws are in the interest of the farming community, the government said obstacles do come whenever good things or measures are taken and it is taking longer to resolve the issue as farmers' leaders want a solution their own way.

Meanwhile, protesting union leaders on Monday said farmers have a constitutional right to take out their tractor rally peacefully and asserted that thousands of people will participate in the proposed event on January 26.

The Supreme Court said on Monday that the Delhi Police is the first authority to decide the entry of protesting farmers into the national Capital.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) Punjab general secretary Paramjit Singh said farmers are not going to hold their rally on Rajpath and in other high-security areas, adding that they would only take out it on the Outer Ring Road in Delhi and that there will be no disruption in the official Republic Day parade.

"We are stuck at the Delhi borders. We have not decided to sit at these borders ourselves, we have been stopped from entering Delhi. We will take out the rally peacefully without disrupting any law and order. We will exercise our constitutional right and we will definitely enter Delhi," Singh added.

Another farmer leader Lakhbir Singh, who is vice-president (Punjab) of All India Kisan Sabha, said farmers will return to protest sites after taking out the tractor rally on the Outer Ring Road on January 26.