Farmers' protest: Decision on Centre's talks offer deferred

New Delhi: Protesting farmer unions deferred a decision on the Central government's offer for fresh talks to Wednesday, even as Union Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar expressed the hope that they will soon resume the dialogue to resolve the impasse over the new agri laws.

A group of protesters showed black flags to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday and even tried to block his convoy in Ambala City, as demonstrations were held in several other states in support of the thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, who are on a sit-in since November 26 on the borders of the national Capital demanding the repeal of the three laws.

In Uttar Pradesh, a group of farmers who were heading to join the protesters clashed with police when they were stopped at Rampur-Moradabad toll plaza.

While a couple of farmer unions have been on a sit-in on the Delhi-Noida border against the farm laws, a group of protesters, mainly residents of Jewar and Dadri in Greater Noida, came out on roads in support of the laws and was stopped by police at Mahamaya Flyover.

Addressing a press conference at Delhi's Singhu Border, farmer leader Kulwant Singh Sandhu said that 32 farmer unions from Punjab held a meeting on Tuesday and discussed the next course of action.

The farmer leader said that a meeting of farmer leaders from across India would be held on Wednesday where a decision on the government's talks offer will be taken.

Agriculture Minister Tomar said on Tuesday he is hopeful that protesting unions would soon complete their internal discussions and resume talks with the government to resolve the crisis.

He met two more peasants' bodies from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh that extended support to the legislation.

However, Sandhu accused the government of creating "dummy and fake organisations that don't have any past" to undermine their agitation.