Farmers reject Supreme Court's committee for negotiations, calls it 'pro-government'
New Delhi/IBNS: Hours after the Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold the three contentious farm laws and directed to set up a committee of experts to negotiate, the protesting farmers rejected the apex court's panel to end the ongoing impasse.
While they welcomed the top court's decision to put the three agriculture laws on hold, they rejected the setting up of the committee, which according to them would include members who had favoured the Centre's laws.
"We don't accept this committee, all the members in this committee have been pro-government and these members have been justifying the laws," Punjab farmers' unions told mediapersons adding that they would intensify their protests across the country.
"We think the government is bringing this committee through the Supreme Court. The committee is just a way of diverting attention," Balbir Singh Rajewal of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (R) told reporters at Singhu border outside Delhi, where thousands of farmers have been camped since the end of November to protest against the Centre's laws.
The groups said that even if the members of the committee were replaced, they would not take part in discussions with it.
"It's a good thing that the implementation of laws has been put on hold. It is a welcome decision but this was our right and we will accept nothing less than the repeal of farm laws," they said.
This comes after the Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed three farm laws until further orders.
In a setback earlier for the Narendra Modi government in the courtroom over the ongoing farmers' protests, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to suspend the farm laws which have triggered the massive agitation in and around the national capital.
In a message to the protesters, the top court said the farmers could carry on with their protests even after the laws are put on hold.
So far the government had eight rounds of talks with the farmers' unions but failed to break the deadlock as the farmers refused to agree with the Centre's decision to amend the laws and demanded the repeal of the laws.
The CJI said the court is forming a committee to solve the problem and asked the parties to give the names so that it can decide, he added.
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