Chandigarh, Dec 18: Protesting farmers, whose bid to enter Haryana in support of their long-pending demands was foiled thrice, will halt trains in Punjab on Wednesday to lodge their protest and press their demands for a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops among other things.

A group of 100 farmers’ representatives who were going to New Delhi to press their demands were recently stopped by the Haryana Police by bursting teargas shells and water cannons and this latest bid to halt trains in Punjab to lodge their protest is bound to lead to more trouble even as passengers are expected to face inconvenience.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that activists of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha would block rail traffic from 12 noon to 3 P.M. on Wednesday.

He urged the protesting farmers to avoid isolated railway tracks and assemble at railway stations only in their respective villages, towns and cities for the ‘Rail Roko’ protest.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, along with Union Ministry of Home Affairs Director, Mayank Mishra, on Sunday met farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast unto death to press the Centre in support of the growers’ demands, enquired about his health and requested him to end his fast that entered the 23rd day.

This has been the first meeting between the Union government and a farmer leader since talks with farmers remained inconclusive in February.

The 70-year-old cancer patient Dallewal has been fasting at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26 in support of their demands that comprised loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.

After meeting the farmer leader, Yadav had told the media, “We came to enquire about the health of Dallewal.”

Without mincing words, he had said, “We have heard whatever his (Dallewal) demands are. There was no proposal of any kind (over the demands). I came here to hear him and also for implementation of the Supreme Court order.”

DGP Yadav had said, “We have appealed to Dallewal that the government has taken note of his situation, and the Punjab government has said that they will talk to Dallewal and his associates and provide them with medical assistance.”

Despite assurances by the government officials, fasting farmer Dallewal remained adamant on continuing with the fast unto death, farmer leaders said.

Doctors have advised immediate hospitalisation of Dallewal as due to the prolonged fast he turned weak.

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana this week said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should follow his Haryana counterpart and promptly resolve the issues of protesting farmers.

“Since the Haryana Chief Minister is providing MSP on all crops, the Punjab government should also follow the Haryana government’s policy in the interest of Punjab’s farmers,” the Agriculture Minister said in a statement on Monday.

On the farmers’ call to resume the Delhi march, the minister said Punjab and Haryana are the biggest producers of foodgrains for the central pool and farmers of both states were getting the benefit of MSP. He said the Punjab government should also ensure that all farmers of Punjab could sell their produce on MSP like they do in Haryana. The Punjab Chief Minister should play his role and come forward to talk to the farmers so that they can return to their homes.

The minister said the Supreme Court had already formed a committee of experts to resolve this issue but the farmer leaders did not attend the meeting with the committee appointed on this matter.

New Delhi, Dec 18: Samajwadi Party MP, Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court, seeking a stay on his arrest and the quashing of an FIR related to the violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal during a court-mandated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid.

Barq has argued that his arrest would lead to “irreparable loss” and labelled the allegations against him as politically-motivated.

Denying his involvement in the incident, which claimed five lives and injured several others including 22 policemen, the Sambhal MP accused the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh of using the case as a means to target him for harassment.

Barq also asserted that he was not present in Sambhal at the time of the violence or the survey, claiming that he was in Bengaluru.

He stated that he planned to return to Sambhal to calm the situation but decided to remain in Delhi after learning about the FIR.

Despite staying away, Barq maintained he reached out to his community members over the phone to promote peace.

The violence in Sambhal unfolded after a local court ordered a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid amid claims that the site previously housed a temple.

The situation escalated with stone-pelting and arson targeting security forces, leaving over 20 police personnel injured and many vehicles damaged.

Barq, along with Sohail Iqbal, son of local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, has been named in the FIR. Authorities allege that Barq visited the mosque days before the violence and delivered provocative remarks that incited the unrest.

Barq’s plea highlights his contention that the charges are baseless and driven by political vendetta, emphasising the “vengeful” stance of the BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh. The matter now awaits a decision from the Allahabad High Court.

Nagpur (Maharashtra), Dec 17: Continuing to take potshots at the government, Maharashtra Congress President Nana F. Patole claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA is attempting to ‘murder’ the Indian democratic system through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), here on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media, Patole said that the EVMs used in the Lok Sabha elections were not utilised for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, for which EVMs were allegedly brought here from Gujarat.

“There is a gross misuse of EVMs. BJP members are sitting on the board of directors of the companies manufacturing EVMs. The EVMs deployed during the Lok Sabha polls were not used for the state Assembly polls and for this, the EVMs were sent from Gujarat,” contended Patole.

He again slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for “failing to exercise its constitutional powers” and alleged that all its operations are conducted at the behest of the BJP, “thus revealing their (ECI’s) mindset” – though the government and ECI have rubbished all anti-EVM allegations.

Taking a swipe at the One Nation-One Election, Patole added that the BJP-RSS’ machinations to end the country’s democracy are evident by the ‘One Nation, No Election’ bill brought before Parliament on Tuesday.

Earlier, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) legislators continued their strong protests for the second day against EVMs, the plight of farmers, the custodial death of a Parbhani Dalit man Somnath Vyankat Suryawanshi in judicial custody, and the killing of a Beed Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

The MVA legislators of Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP) raised slogans and carried placards condemning the MahaYuti government, targeted the police for alleged atrocities in Parbhani and protecting the culprits in the Beed case, plus sought action against the officials concerned in both matters.

Amid the growing clamour from the Opposition, the Speaker said that the Parbhani matter would be taken up for discussion on Wednesday by the Assembly.