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Explained: Farmers’ send letter to PM Modi listing their 6-point agenda, here’s what you need to know about their demands

From the very beginning of the talks with the government, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha had raised three additional demands including legal entitlement to Minimum Support Price based on the comprehensive cost of production (C2+50%) for all agricultural produce.

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Farmers

Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced to repeal farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Sunday wrote an open letter to PM Modi demanding a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and withdrawal of Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021.

The farmers welcomed the Centre’s decision to repeal farm laws and hoped that the government will fulfill this promise at the earliest and in full. However, the farmers have been disappointed due to lack of concrete announcement on their demands in PM Modi’s address to the nation.

In its letter, the SKM with a subject line ‘Your message to the nation and farmers’ message to you’ said farmers are glad that the government has taken the decision to withdraw all three farm laws after 11 rounds of talks. The SKM also sought withdrawal of cases against farmers and building a memorial for the protesters who lost their lives during the farmers’ protest.

Soon after PM Modi’s announcement to repeal farm laws, the SKM, an umbrella body of farmer unions that is leading the protest had announced that the farmer’s protest will continue as per the schedule. It will go on until the farm laws rollback.

From the very beginning of the talks with the government, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha had raised three additional demands including legal entitlement to Minimum Support Price based on the comprehensive cost of production (C2+50%) for all agricultural produce.

Read Also: Haryana odd-even rule 2021: Know list of districts, fine, timings, and other details here

1. Minimum Support Price based on the comprehensive cost of production (C2+50%) should be made a legal entitlement of all farmers for all agricultural produce so that every farmer can be guaranteed at least the MSP announced by the government for their entire crop.

2. Withdrawal of the draft “Electricity Amendments Bill, 2020/2021” proposed by the government.

3. Removal of the penal provisions against farmers in the “Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act 2021. (This year, the government removed some anti-farmer provisions but again through section 15, the possibility for penal action against farmers has been brought back).

4. Thousands of farmers have been implicated in hundreds of cases during this movement (June 2020 till date) in Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and several other states. The SKM demanded to withdraw these cases immediately.

5. Ajay Mishra Teni, the mastermind of Lakhimpur Kheri violence and the accused of section 120B, is still roaming freely and remains a Minister in PM Modi’s cabinet. The SKM said that the Minister’s son should be sacked and arrested.

6. Around 700 farmers have lost their lives during the farmers’ protest. Keeping in mind their supreme sacrifice for the farmers’ cause, there should be compensation and rehabilitation support for their families. To build a martyrs’ memorial in the memory of the martyr farmers, land should be given at Singhu Border.

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PM Modi speaks to Trump, reviews India-US trade and defence ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with US President Donald Trump and reviewed India-US bilateral cooperation, including trade and defence.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday and reviewed key areas of India-US bilateral cooperation, including trade and defence.

The conversation came as the two countries continue discussions on strengthening their broader partnership, with economic and strategic issues forming an important part of the engagement.

Modi, Trump discuss key areas of bilateral cooperation

During the phone conversation, Modi and Trump reviewed cooperation between India and the United States across several areas.

Trade and defence were among the key subjects discussed by the two leaders. Their conversation also covered energy and emerging technologies, reflecting the broad scope of the India-US partnership.

The two leaders also discussed issues linked to regional and global peace and security.

India-US trade talks continue

The conversation took place amid ongoing trade discussions between India and the United States.

India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is visiting the US from September 29 to October 5 for discussions related to an interim trade agreement and the possibility of a broader bilateral trade deal.

The talks are aimed at advancing trade engagement between the two countries as officials work towards an agreement that is described as balanced and mutually beneficial.

Defence and strategic cooperation

Defence cooperation was another area reviewed by Modi and Trump during their conversation.

India and the US have developed broader cooperation across defence and strategic sectors, and the latest discussion included the two countries’ continuing engagement in this area.

Energy and emerging technologies were also part of the leaders’ discussion, underlining the range of issues covered during the phone call.

Modi-Trump discuss regional and global issues

Beyond bilateral matters, Modi and Trump also discussed regional and global peace and security.

The conversation comes as India and the US continue to engage on issues extending beyond their bilateral relationship.

The latest phone call is part of the continuing engagement between the two leaders on strengthening cooperation across trade, defence and other areas of mutual interest.

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Vote Chori Row: INDIA Bloc to march to Election Commission office

The INDIA bloc is planning a march to the Election Commission office and nationwide protests amid its ongoing dispute with the poll panel.

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The Opposition INDIA bloc is stepping up its campaign against the Election Commission, with the alliance planning a march to the poll body’s office in Delhi and a larger programme of protests over what it calls “vote chori”.

The move comes amid a continuing dispute between the Opposition and the Election Commission over the functioning of the poll panel, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The INDIA bloc is also discussing a wider nationwide agitation, with public rallies and protests planned in different parts of the country. The alliance is expected to finalise its broader action plan during its meeting in Delhi.

INDIA bloc plans wider protest campaign

The Opposition alliance has been intensifying its criticism of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar following reports about differences among Election Commissioners over decisions related to electoral rolls.

The Congress Working Committee has already demanded the removal of Gyanesh Kumar. The INDIA bloc is now considering coordinated action against the Chief Election Commissioner and the Centre.

The proposed campaign includes protests and public rallies across the country. A major rally in Delhi is also being planned as part of the Opposition’s wider mobilisation.

Opposition’s allegations against poll panel

The Opposition has accused the Election Commission of irregularities in the revision and preparation of electoral rolls and has repeatedly used the term “vote chori” while raising its concerns.

Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the poll panel’s actions have helped the BJP gain an advantage. The Election Commission and the government have rejected the Opposition’s criticism and defended the electoral process and the SIR exercise.

The dispute has intensified following reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections on several occasions over decisions taken under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

INDIA bloc meeting to decide next steps

Leaders of more than 20 Opposition parties are taking part in discussions on the next phase of the campaign. Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are representing the party.

Other INDIA bloc constituents are also participating, while some parties have decided to support the Opposition’s position without attending the meeting.

The alliance is discussing both street protests and parliamentary action against the Chief Election Commissioner. The Congress has demanded his removal, while other Opposition parties have backed the broader campaign over the Election Commission row.

The INDIA bloc’s proposed march and rallies are part of its continuing effort to put pressure on the poll panel over electoral-roll revisions and its allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.

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EC removes SIR declaration from Form 6 on ECINET portal

The Election Commission has removed the SIR-related declaration from online Form 6 on ECINET in states where the Special Intensive Revision process has concluded.

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Election Commission of India

The Election Commission has removed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-related declaration from the online version of Form 6 on its ECINET portal in states where the SIR process has concluded.

The change comes days after the poll panel said that the standard forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 would be used outside the SIR period. The latest move follows objections raised by two Election Commissioners over the inclusion of the additional declaration in Form 6.

What was the SIR declaration in Form 6?

Form 6 is used by eligible citizens to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll. The online version of the form had earlier included an additional declaration linked to the SIR exercise.

The section asked applicants to indicate whether their own name, or that of a parent or grandparent, appeared in the electoral roll during the previous SIR. According to earlier reporting, applicants could not proceed with the online application without responding to the question, even though the section itself was not marked as mandatory.

The statutory Form 6, however, had not itself been amended when the additional section was introduced on the ECINET portal.

Two Election Commissioners had objected

Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the change in Form 6.

According to internal records cited in the report, both commissioners had argued that statutory forms could not be changed without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. They had also called for the additional declaration to be removed.

The objections were part of a wider series of disagreements recorded by the two commissioners over various decisions connected with the SIR exercise and electoral-roll management.

Declaration removed where SIR has concluded

The latest change does not mean that the SIR-related provision has been removed everywhere. The report says the declaration has been taken off the online Form 6 in states where the SIR process has concluded, while the provision remains in states where the exercise is still underway.

The development follows an Election Commission meeting on September 26, when the poll panel said that forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules would apply outside the SIR period. The Commission also announced a review of the ECINET system to check its compliance with the relevant laws and rules.

The ECINET review committee is headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and includes an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT, according to the Commission’s announcement.

Wider questions over SIR process

The Form 6 issue is part of a broader debate over the Election Commission’s handling of the SIR exercise. The two Election Commissioners have formally recorded objections on multiple occasions, including over changes to voter-registration procedures and aspects of electoral-roll management.

The Election Commission, meanwhile, has said that its SIR-related decisions were taken unanimously and has announced several procedural and technology-related measures amid the controversy.

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