Noida (UP), Dec 29 (PTI) The Centre is working in the interest of corporations and is not bothered about the farmers protesting at Delhi's border in this cold weather, Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders alleged here on Tuesday as the opposition party reached out to the community over the new farm laws brought by the government.

SP workers met farmers in Jhandupura village and extended support to those protesting against the three new laws brought by the Centre, which "are being forced" on them.

"The farmers are asking that when they are not in favour of the laws, then why is the government not listening to them," the Noida unit of the party said in a statement.

Local SP leader Raghvendra Dubey accused the Centre of working in the interest of corporations through the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

"The government has nothing to do with the plight of the farmers. Several farmers have died and many more are protesting at Delhi's borders in this chilling cold weather, but the government is not bothered," he said.

Another SP leader, Devendra Awana, said the government should repeal the new laws and ensure a guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops as being demanded by the protesting farmers' unions.

Thousands of farmers are staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the new laws.

They have expressed the apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the MSP system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)