Kisan padyatra: Agreement has been reached on majority of issues, says MoS Agriculture

New Delhi, Oct 2: With thousands of farmers marching towards Delhi in protest against the Union Government over certain demands, Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today (October 2) said that an agreement has been reached over a majority of issues.

Earlier, clashes broke out between the police and the marching farmers who were trying to enter the national capital. Police used water cannons and tear gas shells near UP-Delhi border to prevent farmers from entering Delhi. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the police for resorting to violence and asked as to why the farmers are stopped from entering Delhi.

MoS Shekhawat said that Home Minister Rajnath Singh met the farmer leaders and discussed the matter with them.

"Home Minister Rajnath Singh met the farmer's leaders and discussed their demands and have reached an agreement on the majority of the issues. Farmers' leaders, UP ministers Laxmi Narayan ji, Suresh Rana ji and I will go to meet farmers now," Shekhawat told media.

According to reports, among the demands that have been accepted are a law on MSP, reduction of GST on agricultural goods (it will now be 5%), demands of sugarcane farmers to be met as soon as possible, setting up of an NGT committee and assurance to bring in changes in the bill in connection with insurance.

Reports also say that no consensus has been reached on farm loan waiver and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

The farmers had arrived in Sahibabad on the outskirts of Delhi on Monday as part of 'Kisan Kranti Yatra' - a march that began in Haridwar and intends to move to Kisan Ghat in Delhi.