Buoyant farmers have 6 demands for Modi govt, mahapanchayat on MSP today

Digging in their heels, farmer unions said on Sunday they will continue their agitation till the government starts talks with them on their six demands.

Farmers' demands include a law guaranteeing MSP and the arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son has been accused of running over farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Also watch: Union Cabinet to table proposal to withdraw 3 farm bills in Parliament on Nov 24

The agitation spearhead, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), also said the farmers would go ahead with their planned protests, including a mahapanchayat in Lucknow on Monday to press for a law on Minimum Support Price (MSP). The farmers also plan to go ahead with their march to Parliament on November 29 to observe one year of anti-farm law protests.

The umbrella body of agitating farm unions took the decision at its first meeting after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on Friday announced that the three farm laws will be repealed.

The Union Cabinet is likely to take up for approval on Wednesday the bills for rescinding the three farm laws so that they are introduced in the forthcoming winter session.

In an open letter to Prime Minister Modi, the SKM thanked him for the repeal of the three farm laws, but noted that "after 11 rounds of talks, you chose the path of unilateral declaration rather than a bilateral solution".

They put forwards six demands including that MSP based on the comprehensive cost of production be made a legal entitlement of all farmers for all agricultural produce, sacking and arrest of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra in connection with Lakhimpur Kheri incident, withdrawal of cases against farmers and building of a memorial for those who lost their lives during the agitation.

Mishra's son was arrested in connection with the death of four protesting farmers in an incident in Lakhimpur Kheri in UP in October.