The protesting farmers refused to budge and continued to dig in their heels on Saturday, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Supreme Court has paused implementation of the three contentious farm laws for three months, while his government stands by its proposal to pause them for 18 months. The government proposal remains on the table for the irate farmers.
The PM said the proposal would have ensured a breakthrough to end the farmers' struggle on Delhi's borders for over two months, but it was rejected by the farmer leaders, who are adamant on scrapping of the three laws. "During the All-Party meet on Saturday, PM Narendra Modi assured that GoI (Government of India) is approaching the farmers' issue with an open mind. The PM said GoI's stand is same as it was on January 22 – the proposal by the Agriculture Minister still stands,” Union Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters.
He said the PM also stressed that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the farmers that he is a phone call away whenever they want to talk.
The all-party meeting took place two days before the presentation of the Union Budget on Monday. A day after all Opposition parties boycotted the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament, he stressed that the farm laws will benefit the farmers and not harm them as they presume. Talking about the Republic Day violence, the PM said, "the law will take its course."
The Opposition parties condemned the violence at the Red Fort on the Republic Day, but they also demanded an investigation into how "outside elements" had infiltrated the farmers' movement.
The farmer leaders have also blamed Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who is close to the BJP, for hijacking their movement, instigating clashes and planting a Sikh religious flag at the Red Fort. The opposition parties also protested against the government slapping cases against senior journalists for the Republic Day violence.
