The Congress on Tuesday claimed that all the four members of the committee set up by the Supreme Court to resolve the impasse over the three contentious farm laws had taken a public stand in favour of the legislations and hence the farmers cannot expect to get any justice from the panel.
While welcoming the concern expressed by the apex court with regard to the farmers' protests, AICC Communications Department head Randeep Surjewala said an analysis of the four-member committee set up by it leaves one alarmed as all the four members have publicly stated that the farm laws in question are correct.
“All four members are known to have taken a public stand in favour of the laws. They have said that the farmers are being misled. How can such a committee do justice to the farmers?,” asked Surjewala.
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He claimed that two of the members—Ashok Gulati and P.K. Joshi—have written columns in support of the farm laws. Gulati, he said, has written that the opposition is on the wrong track with regard to the legislation and the farmers are being misled. Joshi, according to the Congress leader, has written that the laws are correct and also that the Minimum Support Price should be done away with.
Surjewala said that another member of the panel, Anil Dhanwant, has been holding a demonstration in favour of the contentious laws. He said the fourth member, Bhupinder Singh Mann, chairman of the All India Kisan Coordination Committee, had on December 14 met Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and expressed support to the Narendra Modi government over the farm laws.
The AIKCC, he pointed out, is also a petitioner in the court. “How can a petitioner in the case be made a member of the panel?” he asked.
“If the committee members are already standing with the Modi government on the farm laws, how will they do justice to the farmers? And what will be the outcome of such a process?” he said.
Surjewala said there is only one solution to the conundrum, which is to repeal the farm laws. He said the Congress will not go to the Supreme Court on the issue.
Accusing the government of pushing the farmers around and criticising it for asking them to go to the Supreme Court, he said the prime minister should be present in the next round of talks on January 15.
He also noted that the biggest committee headed by the agriculture minister was already talking to the farmers.
“For 49 days, lakhs of farmers are sitting at the borders of Delhi demanding justice. More than 66 farmers have died during the protest. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains unmoved and he has not said anything to express sympathy with the farmers,” Surjewala said.
