Farmers' Protest: Next two meetings to clear the mist; Congress, BJP spar ahead of talks

Holding its first meeting, the Supreme Court-appointed panel on Tuesday announced its intent to hold discussion with farmers and farmers’ bodies across the country with both -- those who are in the favour of the the three contentoius farm laws and against them.

Meanwhile fresh political sparring between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress began ahead of the tenth round of talks between Government and agitating farmer Unions on Wednesday.

A day later, the members of the Supreme Court appointed committee--Dr Ashok Gulati, Former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices, Anil Ghanwat, President, Shetkari Sanghatana and Dr. Pramod Joshi, Former Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute will hold talks with farmers separately on Thursday (January 21).

Read | We'll keep our personal views on farm laws aside; repeal not good for future reforms: SC panel

In the Tuesday meeting, the panel members discussed the roadmap of activities for the Committee for two months to prepare their recommendations after discussion with farmers, farmers’ bodies, farmers’ unions and other stakeholders.

Addressing the media later, Ghanwat said the Committee will also hold discussions with state governments, State Marketing Boards and other stakeholders such as Farmer Producer Organizations and Cooperatives.

The Committee will soon send invitations to the farmers unions and associations to discuss their views on the contentious farm laws. The Committee will also notify a portal soon on which even an individual farmer can submit his/her views on the three laws.

Assuring that they will not let their personal views on these Acts come in the way of their deliberations with various stakeholders, Ghanwat stressed they are not on the side of any party or the government.

Track live updates on the farmers' protest here

The remarks come in the backdrop of a controversy immediately after the Supreme Court had set up the four-member panel on January 11 with some leaders from Opposition and farmer groups saying that the panel has members, which were supportive of farm laws. Later one of the panel members, Bhupinder Singh Mann, recused himself.

Acknowledging that the biggest challenge for the panel is to convince agitating farmers to come and speak with them, Ghanwat assured panel members will keep their personal views on farm laws aside while preparing a report to be submitted to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile a day before the tenth round of talks between government and 40 farmer unions on Wednesday, BJP and Congress got into a brawl. Rahul Gandhi in his first media interaction after he was back after a foreign tour, declared his "100 percent support" to protesting farmers and released a booklet "Kheti ka khoon".

Read | Farm laws will destroy agriculture, only solution is repealing them: Rahul Gandhi

After he insisted that the only solution is to repeal the legislation. In a sharp riposte to Gandhi's accusation that Centre's new farm laws are "designed to destroy" the agriculture sector, BJP chief JP Nadda and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in separate statements said the Congress does not want an end to the farmer protest.

Read | Congress does not want govt-farmers talks to succeed: BJP

So far, the protesting farmers and the government have failed to resolve the logjam despite nine rounds of talks.

Accusing Gandhi of "provoking and misleading" farmers, Nadda asked "why did the Congress-led UPA government stall the Swaminathan Commission report for years and did not increase the minimum support price (MSP)", while Javadekar said "The Congress does not want the talks to succeed. It does not want the issues of farmers resolved. That is why it has adopted the tactic of obstruction."