Anurag Thakur to agitating farmers

NEW DELHI: Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday appealed to the farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana borders to not follow the path of violence, asserting that the government is ready to hold talks with them to resolve their concerns.

The information and broadcasting minister also hit out at the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for their remarks on the farmer issue.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab remain camped at the Punjab-Haryana borders as part of their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to press the Centre to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price for crops and farm debt waiver.

While the Congress did “nothing” for the farmers during its regime in the past, the AAP kept pressing former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for announcing MSP at state level but did not do anything in this regard when it came to power in the border state, Thakur charged.

“It is my request to all demonstrators that they do not follow the path of violence. Government is always ready to hold talks with farmers on whatever their organisations want to discuss,” he told reporters here.

“In the first four rounds of talks, the Modi government’s senior ministers met them in Chandigarh and held talks for several hours in a very positive manner. And we have said that in future also, whenever need arises, we are ready for talks,” he said.

There should not be violence, arson; no damage to anyone’s property and life. This we all should try, he added.