Toughening the stand, the agitating farmers on Tuesday ruled out any “formal” talks with the government until “harassment” by police and administration stops and detained farmers are released.
The legal cell of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with a plea for help in finding more than 100 farmers who, they claimed, were missing since the Republic Day violence during the tractor rally.
In a late evening press conference on Tuesday, the SKM also announced that it has formed a team of leading lawyers to handle court cases related to the January 26 violence and help trace the missing farmers.
The farmers' issue also rocked Parliament, where Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi government was ready for talks on the issue both inside and outside Parliament
In reply to a Parliament question, Tomar ruled out any compensation to families of farmers who have died during the agitation on Delhi borders since November 26.
“Our slogan is 'no returning home till laws are repealed',” Rakesh Tikait, leader of the Bhartiya Kisan Union said declaring that he was ready to continue the agitation till October.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh chaired an all-party meeting in Chandigarh and demanded announced that the government would once again pass bills in the state assembly to negate the three farm laws.
In Delhi, the legal cell of the AICC decided to form teams of lawyers to assist farmers to trace missing persons and mount legal challenges to the cases registered against them.
SKM, the umbrella body guiding the 70-day old farmers' agitation, slammed the Modi government for “frequent Internet shutdown” at protest sites and blocking of many Twitter accounts related to the farmers' movement.
“It appears the government is extremely fearful of the rising tide of support for the ongoing protest from different states,” the SKM said.
“The SKM decided in its meeting on Monday that there can be no formal talks with the government until police and administration's harassment of different kinds against the farmers' movement is immediately stopped,” the SKM said.
“Though no formal proposal for talks came from the government, we clearly state that the talks will be held only after the unconditional release of farmers who are in illegal police custody,” the statement said.