DW BUREAU / chandigarh The BSP-BJP on Tuesday protested the Centre's farm laws, demanding their rollback while describing the Union government as "anti-farmer" and "anti-minority." Protesters led by Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Punjab unit chief Jasvir Singh Garhi took out a march from Ambedkar Chowk to the deputy commissioner's office here. Addressing the gathering, Garhi accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of being "anti-farmer" and "anti-minority." "The attitude of the present BJP government towards various issues facing the nation is worse even than that of 'Kumbhakarna', who slept for six months but kept awake for six months," he said. "The BSP had to come out on the streets of Punjab to wake up the central government," added Garhi. Farmers mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been camping at Delhi borders since November last year, demanding rollback of the Centre's three contentious farm laws, which have been described as pro-farmer by the government. Farmers are also demanding a new law to guarantee minimum support price for crops. Several rounds of talks between farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock over the three central legislations. Farmers protesting the Central agri laws held discussions on the amended Essential Commodities Act, one of the three contentious legislations, at their 'Kisan Sansad' in Jantar Mantar on Tuesday and said they will pass a resolution for its repeal. Discussion of the Act was started on Monday by women farmers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, who held 'Kisan Sansad' at the same spot. Every day, 200 farmers are participating in the 'Kisan Sansad', which is a part of their strategy to draw the government's as well as the opposition's attention to the issues that have been plaguing the farming community. The 'Kisan Sansad' started late on Tuesday, around 12 noon, due to the heavy traffic and waterlogging after parts of the national capital witnessed rainfall.The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against three farm laws, in a statement, demanded the amended Essential Commodities Act, 2020, should be immediately repealed. "The farmers' parliament repeals this Act and asks Parliament to do the same." Bharatiya Kisan Union General Secretary Yudhvir Singh said, "The Essential Commodities Act was passed in 1955 to stop the black market and since then no one has asked for the amendment. Every citizen in the country is raising their voice in support of the farmers." State governments, in consultation with farmer unions, should strengthen the marketing, transportation, storage facilities and food processing for crops, bring improvements in the food delivery system to ensure basic food and nutrition security to all people, the SKM statement said. "The Government of India should frame a policy and ensure the establishment of such basic facilities and infrastructure that will ensure that farmers and their families, not corporates and MNCs, earn from the food production, storage, processing and marketing," it said. Farmer leader Raminder Singh Patiala, who reached Jantar Mantar on Tuesday as an observer, said, "We are continuing the discussion over the Essential Commodities Act which was started by the women on Monday. The women also demanded to repeal the law." "We are hopeful of passing a resolution to repeal the law while concluding the Kisan Sansad for the day. P R Pandian, Randhir Singh Dheera, Rishipal Ambawata, Inderjeet Singh, Jarnail Singh and Harminder Singh Khaira were elected as speakers and deputy speakers for three sessions of the parliament," he said. Former judge of Bombay High Court Kolse Patil, who came here as a member of the 'Kisan Sansad', was the first person to speak at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. However, he was not feeling well and later left the Kisan Sansad, he said. Protesters from Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar came as members of the Kisan Sansad at Jantar Mantar which is near Parliament where the Monsoon Session is underway. The Kisan Sansad started at Jantar Mantar on Thursday and for the first two days, they discussed the APMC Act and passed a unanimous resolution on Friday demanding its repeal. "We are thinking of approaching agriculture experts like P Sainath, Dr Sucha Singh Gill, Devender Singh to come here and speak as members of the 'Sansad'," Patiala said. Like in the Tikri protest site, Dr Swaiman Singh is providing medical assistance to farmers at Jantar Mantar. He said, "Most of the protesters do not take their medicines for blood pressure and diabetes etc. in the morning. We give them medicines. On Monday, one person had very high diabetes, but we somehow managed to save him." (editor@dailyworld.in)