NEW DELHI: Ahead of the meeting with the farmer leaders at 3 pm today, amid protests against the recent farm laws, several Union Cabinet Ministers are meeting at the residence of BJP President JP Nadda on Tuesday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar arrived at the residence of Nadda to hold a meeting to discuss the ongoing farmers' protest ahead of a key meeting later today.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways, is also expected to join the meeting.
Tomar, speaking to the reporters here, said that all the farmers' organisations have been called for a meeting at 3 pm and reiterated that the Central government is ready for discussions.
"Farmer leaders have been invited for talks today at 3 pm. The government is always ready for talks. We can't hold discussions on road. Let them come and sit across the table," Tomar said.
Earlier, several meetings were held between Cabinet Ministers and BJP President JP Nadda over the farmers' protest.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been taking feedback from senior ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Narendra Singh Tomar.
Rajnath Singh, who has handled agriculture portfolio earlier, is learnt to be in touch with farmer leaders to find a solution to the situation.
Sources said that for the past two days, the ministers have worked the phone lines and there have been backchannel talks to find a way forward. They said various leaders from states who gave had a good rapport with the leadership of agitating farmers were also contacted.
While calling the farmer union leaders for talks on Tuesday, Tomar on Monday cited COVID-19 pandemic and increasing cold behind such move.
Thousands of farmers stayed put at various Delhi border points for the fifth consecutive day on Monday protesting the new farm laws, which they fear will dismantle the minimum support price system and corporatise farming.
"Keeping in view the cold and COVID-19, we have invited leaders of farmer unions for discussion much before the scheduled December 3 meeting," Tomar told PTI.
The meeting will be held at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital today, he said, adding those leaders who were present in the meeting held on November 13 have been invited this time.
Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal also wrote to representatives of 32 farmer unions, including the Krantikari Kisan Union, Jammuhari Kisan Sabha, Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (Dakauda), Kul Hind Kisan Sabha, Kriti Kisan Union and Punjab Kisan Union, inviting them for discussion on December 1.
The November 13 meeting was inconclusive and the Union Agriculture Ministry had invited them for a second round of discussion on December 3 to resolve their concerns about new farm laws.
Meanwhile, serpentine queues of vehicles clogged the roads in parts of the national capital on Tuesday as the Delhi Police kept the Singhu and Tikri borders with Haryana closed for traffic and heightened checking at other places in view of the ongoing farmers' protest.
The closure of borders has also resulted in heavy traffic on other alternate routes between Delhi and Haryana.
"Singhu Border is still closed from both sides. Please take alternate route. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba Chowk & GTK road. Traffic is very very heavy. Please avoid outer ring road from Signature Bridge to Rohini & vice versa, GTK road, NH 44 & Singhu border," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.
"Tikri border is closed for any Traffic Movement. Badusarai and Jhatikara borders are open only for two wheeler traffic. Available open Borders to Haryana are Jharoda, Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera," it said in another tweet.
More protesters converged near the borders of the national capital as the stir by farmers against the agri laws appeared to intensify, prompting the Delhi Police to enhance security and place concrete barriers at all entry points from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The farmers, who on Sunday had announced that they would block five points of entry into Delhi in coming days while rejecting the Centre's offer to hold talks once they move to the Burari ground, said they have come for a decisive battle and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their "mann ki baat".
Peaceful protests were underway at both the Singhu and Tikri borders, where farmers had gathered from Punjab and Haryana, for the sixth day.
The numbers of farmers at the Ghazipur border swelled, with more joining them from Uttar Pradesh.
Special prayers were also held at all gurdwaras in the national capital on Tuesday morning for success of the ongoing farmers' protest against the new agri laws, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa said.
The 'ardas' was held at all the gurdwaras for fulfilment of the demands of protesting farmers, Sirsa said.
"The DSGMC also condemns those, including the BJP leaders, who are alleging that the protesting farmers are Khalistanis and terrorists," he said after attending a prayer at Bangla Sahib gurdwara.
"A farmer received information of his soldier son's death in Kashmir while staging the protest.
Can such people be called terrorists?" Sirsa asked.
Peaceful sit-ins by farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, continued for the sixth day at the Singhu and Tikri borders.
The farmers, who on Sunday had announced that they would block five points of entry into Delhi in coming days while rejecting the Centre's offer to hold talks once they move to the Burari ground, said they have come for a decisive battle and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their "mann ki baat".
(With ANI and PTI Inputs)