Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday announced the scrapping of three contentious agricultural laws, apparently buckling under year-long farmer protests ahead of assembly polls in two states. Tens of thousands of farmers have been camping on the outskirts of the national capital in protest against three controversial agricultural laws that they fear could hurt their livelihoods. "Today I have come to tell you, the whole country, that we have decided to withdraw all three agricultural laws,” Modi said in an address to the nation in the morning. Also read: Indian farmers intensify their protests against agri reforms "In the Parliament session starting later this month, we will complete the constitutional process to repeal these three agricultural laws," he said, urging the protesting farmers to return to their homes and fields. The Indian Prime Minister said that his government did its best to educate the farmers of this country about the benefits of the three agricultural laws but failed to achieve the desired results. "We haven't been able to explain to our farmers. This is not a time to blame anyone. I want to tell you that we have taken the farm laws back," Modi added. The government's decision comes on the occassion of Guru Nanak Jayanti, which celebrates the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak. It's the most important festival of the minority Sikh community, who are primarily farmers and inhabitants of Punjab in northern India. While some farmer bodies welcomed the move, others kept mum. "It's a good move by PM Narendra Modi on the occasion of Guru Purab," Joginder Singh Ugrahan, a prominent leader of a faction of the Bharatiyan Kisan Union, told the media. India's opposition parties took to Twitter to react to the development. "The country's farmers have defeated arrogance with their satyagraha. Jai Hindi, Jai Hindi's farmers," the country's main opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted. His party is a fierce critic of the three "anti-farmer" agricultural laws. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted, "Great news on Prakash Divas. Over 700 farmers lost their lives. Their sacrifice will live on. Future generations will remember how farmers gave their all for the cause of farmers. Salute India's farmers." The three farm laws were brought in by the Indian government in September 2020 triggering fierce protests, particularly in the three northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are set to go to polls soon. Also read: Indian farmers march seeking better prices for produce While the Indian government had said that the reforms would help farmers get better prices by allowing them to sell their produce at markets and prices of their choice, the protesters feared the laws would hurt their interests by paving the way for the entry of private players into the agricultural market. Experts said the three farm laws were revoked by the government in the wake of fierce protests that the top ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders had been facing during election campaign in Punjab and UP. "It is said that the road to Delhi passes through Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. And the party that wins the majority of seats in assembly polls in the state stands a fair chance to form the federal government," Prof RK Sinha, a retired Delhi University professor, had earlier said. The three farm laws are 1. Ending the monopoly of government-regulated markets and allowing farmers to sell their produce directly to private players 2. Ensuring a legal framework for farmers to enter into written pacts with companies and produce for them 3. Allowing agri-businesses to stock food articles and removing the government's ability to impose restrictions arbitrarily

A major crisis is brewing in India's largest and politically important state of Uttar Pradesh, with assembly polls barely a few months away. The crisis stems from the violence that broke out in the northern Indian state's Lakhimpur Kheri district on Sunday after a federal Minister's motorcade ploughed into some farmers protesting agricultural reforms that they fear could hurt their livelihoods. While four of the protesters were killed after being run over by a car allegedly driven by junior Indian home minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish, four others died in the clashes that followed. The farmers were attempting to prevent the Minister from visiting the district. To pacify the protesters, Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday booked the Minister's son for murder while the state government promised to pay a compensation of Indian rupees 45 lakh to the families of the deceased amd Indian rupees 10 lakh to each of the injured. The federal Minister has, however, denied that his son was present on the spot. "There were miscreants who had attacked workers with sticks and swords. The farmers died when a car in my convoy overturned." However, India's opposition parties supporting the farmers' agitation have already managed to cash in on the crisis. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka courted arrest in the early hours of the day after she was prevented from going to the district. She alleged she was manhandled by the cops, in a video released by her supporters. Politicians from other opposition parties have also been stopped from visiting the families of the victims. State's main opposition Samajwadi Party's leader, Akhilesh Yadav, claimed he was not allowed to leave his residence in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow. "Farmers, who are the backbone of our economy, cannot be treated like this." "Their fears are legitimate about private players hurting their income and they should be heard. We need to strengthen our farming systems and not weaken them," the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh added. Sunday's violence in Lakhimpur Kheri is just an aggressive manifestation of the nearly year-long protest by tens of thousands of farmers who have been camping on the outskirts of the national capital in protest against three contentious agricultural laws. While the Indian government has said that the reforms will help farmers get better prices by allowing them to sell their produce at markets and prices of their choice, the protesters fear the laws will favour private players at their expense. Experts say the violence clearly shows that things are gradually going out of control of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which also governs the state of Uttar Pradesh. "It is said that the road to Delhi passes through Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. And the party that wins the majority of seats in assembly polls in the state stands a fair chance to form the federal government," said Prof RK Sinha, a retired Delhi University professor. "It's high time that the government pacified the farmers, who make up 60 percent of India's population," he added.

The Indian government and protesting farmers were unable to reach common ground in talks held Tuesday, with the farmers saying their demonstrations against new agriculture laws will continue as will their blockades of key highways.

Protesting farmers on Sunday rejected the Indian government's offer to hold immediate talks if they ended their blockade of key highways they've held as they seek the scrapping of legislation they say could devastate crop prices.

From the state of Punjab in the north to Karnataka in the south, farmers across India intensified their protests on Monday against the "pro-corporate" reforms in the agricultural sector.