NEW DELHI: Ahead of the commencement of the ninth round of talks between farmer leaders and the Centre here on Friday, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait warned that they would walk out of the meeting in case the government remained stuck on its earlier position on the three farm laws.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Tikait, who reached Vigyan Bhavan where the meeting has already begun, told IANS earlier in the day: “If the government is afraid of fulfilling the demands of the farmers on the central farm laws, there is no use of continuing the dialogue.”
The farmer leaders are meeting Union Ministers involved in the parleys for the first time after the Supreme Court constituted a four-member committee of experts to address the demands of farmers.
The farmers are demanding the repeal of The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Price Assurance and Agricultural Services Agreement Act, 2020; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 as well as a legal guarantee for procurement of crops at MSP.