New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) Representatives of farmers told the Centre on Friday that the four-member committee formed by the Supreme Court to redress their grievances on new farm laws was “not acceptable” to them though they will continue to hold parleys.
“During our meeting with the government representatives, we made it clear that the committee formed by the Supreme Court is not acceptable. The farmers will however continue to hold talks with the Centre and try to find out a solution to their demands through dialogue,” Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said after lunch break in the ongoing 9th round of talks with central Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State Som Prakash.
Earlier, farmer leaders began another meeting with the three Union Ministers at the Vigyan Bhavan here. In the afternoon, they partook of lunch brought at the venue by Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
Tikait said that discussion on their demands for repeal of the three new farm laws and a legal assurance on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for agricultural crops will take place after lunch.
“I can’t say for how long the meeting will continue. However, the meeting is taking place in a very good environment,” he said.
This is the first meeting after the Supreme Court on January 12 suspended the three farm laws and formed the four-member committee of experts. Bhupinder Singh Mann, one of the members, has since withdrawn from the committee.
Earlier in the morning, ahead of the commencement of the ninth round of talks, Tikait had warned that the farmer leaders would walk out of the meeting in case the government remained stuck on its earlier position on the three farm laws.
“If the government is afraid of fulfilling the demands of the farmers on the central farm laws, there is no point in continuing the dialogue,” he had told IANS.
–IANS
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