new Delhi. Farmers’ representatives told the Center on Friday that a four-member committee set up by the Supreme Court to redress their grievances over the new agricultural laws was not acceptable to them. However, they will continue the dialogue with the government. Indian Farmers Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said after the lunch break during the ninth round of talks with Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State Som Prakash, “During our meeting with government representatives , We made it clear that the committee constituted by the Supreme Court is not acceptable. However, the farmers will continue to negotiate with the Center and try to find a solution through dialogue. ”
Earlier, farmer leaders started another meeting with three Union ministers at Vigyan Bhavan here. He also had a lunch organized by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Friday afternoon.
Tikait said that their demands for repeal of the three new agricultural laws and legal assurances on the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural crops will be discussed after lunch.
He said, “I cannot say how long the meeting will continue. However, the meeting is being held in a very good environment.”
This is the first meeting between the farmers and the government after the Supreme Court gave its verdict on 12 January prohibiting three agricultural laws and setting up a four-member committee of experts. The four-member committee from the apex court also included the name of farmer leader Bhupendra Singh Mann, who withdrew from the committee on Thursday.
Earlier in the morning, before the ninth round of talks began, Tikait had warned that if the government appeared to maintain its earlier stand, the peasant leaders would leave the meeting.
He had said, “If the government is afraid to fulfill the demands of the farmers on the central agricultural laws, then there is no point in continuing the dialogue.”
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