Resume dialogue with farmers: Akalis to PM Narendra Modi

Chandigarh, May 22

Akali Dal leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reject the farm laws and save the farmers, sitting on the Delhi border for the past six months, amid the raging pandemic.

Chandumajra said the PM must respond to the initiative from farmers to reopen dialogue. “These laws were thrust on the farmers within weeks of the pandemic having hit India. There was no emergency to bring out these laws yet the ordinance route was resorted to, which was undemocratic.

“The result of that action to appease corporates is now before the country. These laws should be scrapped because these have been rejected by the very people for whose welfare they were introduced. It is time the return of farmers to their homes is facilitated by withdrawing these disastrous laws,” he added. — TNS

Open to talks, says Rajewal

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal on Saturday said they were ready for talks with the Centre. He said they had been protesting for the past six months and had never shied away from dialogue, but the Centre was behaving “arrogantly”.