As the protests by farmers belonging to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha – Non-Political (SKM-NP), a splinter group of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) escalated into a full-blown conflict with the security forces at various points on the Haryana-Punjab border on Tuesday, the Centre yet again made it clear that announcing a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP), the key demand of the farmers, will not be possible. The government, however, offered a third round of talks with the leaders of the groups.
The Opposition jumped into the scene and the Congress said it would implement a guaranteed MSP if it came to power. Constituents of the original SKM, meanwhile, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and stop using force against the farmers and asked the SKM-NP to stop fighting separately and support the rural and industrial strike of February 16.
