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'Bill wapasi nahi, ghar wapasi nahi': Farmers to continue protests despite SC intervention

We will not move from here until the laws are repealed, farmers said

PTI01_12_2021_000085A Farmers during their ongoing agitation over the new farm reform laws, at Singhu border in New Delhi | PTI

The protesting farmer leaders welcomed the Supreme Court order to stay the implementation of three farm laws on Tuesday, but said they would not call off their agitation until the three controversial farm laws are repealed.

The farmers also said members of SC panel are not dependable as they have been writing on how the agri laws are pro-farmer. Farmer leader Balbeer Singh Rajewal said they will not appear before any committee as their agitation is against the three farm laws.

The four members of the panel are: Bhupinder Singh Mann, president of Bhartiya Kisan Union; Anil Ghanwat, president of Shetkeri Sangthana, Maharashtra; Pramod Kumar Joshi, director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati.

Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson, Bhartiya Kisan Union, said "Bill wapasi nahi, ghar wapasi nahi (Won't return home until the bill is taken back)," when asked about the Supreme Court's order, reports news agency ANI.

"We welcome the court's order to stay the implementation of the farm laws, but we want a complete repeal of these laws, which is our main demand," Abhimanyu Kohar, a senior leader of the Morcha, told PTI.

Another farmer leader, Harinder Lokhwal, said the protest will continue until the contentious farm laws are repealed.

"We do not have faith in the idea of a committee and we have been saying this since the very beginning, when the government had suggested the formation of a committee. But this time, it is the Supreme Court and we will see the functioning of this committee," All India Kisan Sabha (Punjab) vice-president Lakhbir Singh said.

"We welcome the Supreme Court's decision, but it is still a stay and not a repeal of the three laws. So we will not move from here until the laws are repealed. The agitation will continue. We are against the idea of a committee, but there is a difference between a committee formed by the government and a committee formed by the Supreme Court," Bharatiya Kisan Union (Punjab) senior vice-president Manjeet Singh said.

The top court has sought the cooperation of the protesting farmers and made it clear that no power can prevent it from setting up a panel to resolve the impasse over the controversial farm laws.

Meanwhile, reacting to the apex court staying implementation of the three laws, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said it is a positive step in the right direction to get justice for farmers. Hon'ble Supreme Court's stay on implementation of #FarmLaws is a welcome & positive step in the right direction to get Justice for our farmers. Central Government must now stop their rigid ways of functioning, accept their mistake and rectify it," Maharashtra minister and NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik tweeted.

With PTI inputs

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