Disappointed with SC panel, stir to continue till laws get repealed: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

After the decision of the core committee of farmers, we will decide our line of action in regard to joining the committee constituted by the apex court, he said adding that they would not leave the protest sites at the border unless the laws get repealed.About shifting to Ramlila Maidan, the BKU leader said they have already erected cement houses at Ghazipur border and do not wish to raze the structures to construct new ones at Ramlila Maidan.The government has wrongly estimated that about 1,000 people would die in this agitation.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday disapproved of the Supreme Court appointed panel formed to end the impasse between the farmers' unions and the Centre over the new farm laws.

Speaking to reporters at the protest site in Ghazipur border along Delhi, Tikait asserted that the farmers' agitation will continue despite the SC order on staying the laws while pointing out 'bill wapsi nahi to ghar wapsi nahi' (if the farm laws are not repealed, none of the protesters will return home).

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ordered a stay of the implementation of the three new farm laws hoping this will end the prolonged protests by the farmers and also constituted a four-member panel of agriculture experts to resolve the impasse between their leaders and the Centre.

The committee members are Bhupinder Singh Mann, National President of Bhartiya Kisan Union, All India Kisan Coordination Committee; Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi, Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices and Anil Ghanwat, President of Shetkari Sanghatana.

He said some members of the SC-appointed committee are ''supporters'' of the new laws and claimed that several recommendations made by them ended up as part of the legislation.

''Farmers of the entire country are disappointed with the SC's decision,'' the BKU national spokesperson said.

Replying to a question on the committee members, he said that the farmers' unions will scrutinise what all the four panel members have done in the past. ''After the decision of the core committee of farmers, we will decide our line of action in regard to joining the committee constituted by the apex court,'' he said adding that they would not leave the protest sites at the border unless the laws get repealed.

About shifting to Ramlila Maidan, the BKU leader said they have already ''erected cement houses at Ghazipur border and do not wish to raze the structures to construct new ones at Ramlila Maidan''.

''The government has wrongly estimated that about 1,000 people would die in this agitation. In case the government tries to do away with the protests, more than 10,000 people will die,'' he added.

A 'tractor march' will be carried out in Delhi on Republic Day, Tikait said.

Besides, his media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said Tikait will address a virtual press conference at 1 pm on Wednesday in Mumbai's Azad Maidan organised by Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh.

Representatives of the Joint Kisan Morcha of Maharashtra including Sandip Giddy Patil, chief convener of Kisan Kranti; state president of National Kisan Mazdoor Maha Sangh Shankar Darekar; Laxman Vange and Arun Kanhare will also participate.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)