Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with farmers on the birth anniversary of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25, the BJP said, adding that the party will hold kisan samvad at over 2,500 places in Uttar Pradesh. In a statement issued here on Saturday, the party said it has intensified its preparations for it.

UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and party leader Radha Mohan Singh held a virtual meeting in this regard with party office-bearers from parts of the state. Radha Mohan Singh said the Narendra Modi-led government is dedicated to welfare of the poor and farmers.

"Had the amount of welfare done by the Modi Government been done in the past, the condition of farmers would have been better," Singh said. He accused the opposition parties of spreading lies regarding the new farm laws.

Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting at Delhi borders against the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020. Five rounds of formal talks have been held between the government and 40 farmer unions to break the deadlock.

The unions, however, are demanding a complete rollback of the central laws. The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of Minimum Support Price and do away with the mandi system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Last week, the Centre had sent a proposal to these unions, stating that it would give a written assurance that the minimum support price (MSP) system will remain and also redress their other key concerns, but it failed to break the stalemate.