Rakesh Tikait refuses to talk to SC-panel on farm laws, says 'We never went to court'

After the Supreme Court appointed panel appealed to the farmers' unions to come for deliberations on January 21, Bharatiya Kisan Union Leader Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday refused the invitation, stating that the unions will continue to hold deliberations only with the government and with no other body. Tikait stated that the laws were brought by the Central government in the parliament hence talks will continue with them while adding that neither he nor any of the union leaders went to Supreme Court for seeking any assistance. A day earlier he had expressed the farmers' preparedness to sit in protest till May 2024.

"We are not going anywhere. We are here only. Government is of the opinion that resolution will come only through talks. Even farmers are of the opinion that they will talk only with the government. Both of them know that resolution will come only through talks, but nobody knows when will the resolution come. The government must understand that only they have to communicate with the farmers, only then will the solution come," Rakesh Tikait said.

"We never went to court. Whatever this movement agitation is going on, none of us has gone to the court. The government brought these bills, they were passed in the houses, that is how these bills will be dissolved as well. The way they were introduced, the same way they will go. We farmers and the government will sit to get a solution. No department should provoke farmers out of any sort of misconception. We know how to handle them, be it any department," he added.

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SC-Panel meets for the first time

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court-appointed panel held its first meeting in order to get officially introduced to one another and chalk out the strategy for the dispute resolution. The 3-member appointed panel consists of Agriculture Economist Ashok Gulati, Pramod Kumar Joshi from International Food Policy Institute, and Shetkari Sangathana president Anil Ghanwat after Bhartiya Kisan Union President Bhupinder Singh Mann recused himself from the committee last week. Formed with an aim to end the deadlock on the farm laws, the panel has appealed to farmers to come for deliberations on January 21. The representatives of all farmer unions, irrespective of whether they are holding a protest or not, have been asked to participate in the deliberations of the committee and put forth their viewpoints.

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has appealed to the agitating Unions not to go ahead with their tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi. He has expressed hope that the unions will discuss alternatives other than the repeal of the farm laws in the tenth round of talks scheduled on January 20. The agitating Unions have submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court making it clear that they will cooperate with the administration on Republic Day. The farmers have however refused to call off the tractor rally.

READ | Farmers' R-Day Tractor March Plan In SC; Prepared For Stir Till May 2024, Says BKU Leader