Opposition parties, middlemen misleading protesting farmers: Muraleedharan

Thiruvananthapuram: Asserting that farmers are being instigated by certain political parties and middlemen, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Sunday said there are no protests by farmers against the farm laws in any part of the country except Punjab.
“There are no protests by farmers in any part of the country except Punjab. The farm laws are for the welfare of the farmers. The farmers protesting in Delhi are either unaware of this or they are being purposefully instigated by certain political parties,” Muraleedharan told reporters here.
Claiming that the farm laws have guaranteed protection to farmers from middlemen, Mualeedharan said that these middlemen are now angry and misleading people.
“The opposition parties are unable to point out the real issues with new farm laws. The farm law actually guarantees protection from middlemen to farmers. Those powerful middlemen are now angry and are misguiding farmers,” he said.
This comes as thousands of farmers have gathered in the national capital to protest against the farm laws recently enacted by the Central government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had, yesterday, announced that the Centre is willing to discuss all of the farmers’ issues.
“To farmers protesting at the Delhi-Haryana border and Punjab border, I would like to tell them that the central government is ready to discuss all their issues over a meeting called upon by the agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on December 3. We are ready to hear all their concerns and demands,” Shah had said.
He had also assured the farmers that the Central government is ready to hold discussions with them before December 3 if they shift their protest to a structured place and vacate roads and highways, where they have been protesting.