Farm Laws Repeal: BKU's Rakesh Tikait Refuses to Call Off Protests Despite PM's Announcement on Rollback

Rakesh Tikait, the leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), on Friday said his outfit will not withdraw the farmers’ protest immediately but will instead wait for the controversial farm laws to be repealed in Parliament as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day.

In an address to the nation, PM Modi said the three laws were passed last year to benefit small farmers and get them higher returns for their produce. He, however, added that some farmers and farmer unions had not understood the government’s intent behind the legislations.

Modi added that his government had tried to explain and take the benefits of the three farm laws to the farming community, but could not convince some farmers. “I apologise if some farmers did not understand what we wanted to do. We have decided to repeal the three farm laws. We will withdraw these three bills in the upcoming Parliament session,” he announced.

Thousands of farmers led by unions like the BKU have been camped at Delhi borders in Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu for close to a year now, alleging that the new legislations would end up benefitting corporates and not farmers. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait had earlier this month said the agitation would be intensified if the government did not repeal the farm laws by November 26, to mark one year since the protest was launched.

In his address to the nation on Gurupurab, Modi also appealed to the protesting farmers, most of whom are from poll-bound Punjab and Uttar Pradesh apart from Haryana, to return to their homes and farms.

Hours later, Tikait, however, said the protesting farmers would not disperse immediately. He added that the government should also talk to farmers on the issue of minimum support price (MSP).

“The agitation will not be withdrawn immediately. We will wait for the day when agricultural laws are repealed in Parliament. The government should also discuss other issues of farmers along with MSP,” Rakesh Tikait said in Hindi on Twitter.

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