Indian PM Modi says protesting farmers are being misled by "conspiracy"

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed his government's agricultural reforms on Tuesday and said farmers that are protesters opposing the legislation are being confused and misled by a "conspiracy."

"They are being frightened that after new reforms, farmers' lands will be snatched by others. When a big corporate dairy makes a contract with you for milk, do they take away your cattle?" Modi said during his address in Gujarat.

Farmers from Punjab and the neighbouring state of Haryana have been demonstrating for weeks against three bills that loosen rules around the sale, pricing and storage of farm produce, which farmers say will leave them vulnerable to corporations and devastate their livelihoods.

"These laws are made to give capitalists a monopoly on trade of agricultural produce. Anyone who has a monopoly wants to give the least possible rate to the producer," said protest leader Ram Pal Jat.

Protest camps in and around the capital New Delhi have been set up and farmers staged a one-day hunger strike on Monday.

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