The Indian government has invited leaders of farm groups protesting newly enacted agricultural laws near the capital city of New Delhi for talks on Tuesday, two days before they were originally scheduled to take place. The government, in a statement issued late Monday, announced the meeting was advanced due to the coronavirus pandemic and the extreme cold weather. The government has already held two rounds of talks with the farmers with the last one held on November 13. “At that time too, we had urged them not to go for agitation and that the government is ready for talks,” Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said on Monday. Tomar said that farmers had misconceptions about the farm laws and the government was committed to discussing the issue with their representatives without any preconditions. This comes after the farmers rejected Home Minister Amit Shah’s offer to advance the date of talks in exchange for them moving their protest to a designated site on the outskirts of Delhi.
Farmers’ protests in India intensify | DW News
