Govt's silence indicates it is planning steps against farmers protest, says BKU leader

Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Indian party Bharatiya Kisan Union has claimed that the Centre’s silence for the past few days indicates that it is planning some steps against the farmers’ agitation over newly enacted agriculture laws.

He stressed that authorities should come ahead with a proposal for talks to renew with the protesting farmers.

“The government’s silence for the past 15-20 days is indicating that something is going to happen. The government is planning some steps against the agitation,” the BKU leader told local media.

When asked about the violence during a tractor parade on Republic Day in New Delhi, he alleged that the government created the trouble.

Read More: Farmers won’t go home until agreement is reached, says Rakesh Tikait of BKU

On the other hand, Indian Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said on February 24 that the federal government ready to resume talks with protesting farmers if they place the three contentious farm legal guidelines on hold for a one-and-a-half year and work out the distinction throughout that point by means of a joint committee.

The farmers have been protesting at the borders of the national capital for nearly three months now. They have held several rounds of negotiations with the Centre to find a solution to their demands. While the Centre has agreed to keep the implementation of laws in abeyance for one and a half years, it has refused to withdraw the three farm laws.

The farmers have been braving New Delhi’s winter by sleeping in the open for months on national highways. Their protests have mostly been peaceful but a tractor rally on Jan. 26 flared into turmoil as some farmers clashed with police and one person was killed and hundreds were injured.

READ: Indian farmers announce four-hour nationwide rail blockade

With no end in sight to the stalemate, the farmers are now gearing for harsh summers.