A day after the farmers’ tractor rally in the national capital turned violent and left at least one dead, All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee and Bharatiya Kisan Union (Bhanu) announced calling off their protests.
Blaming another farmer leader, Rakesh Tikait, VM Singh of AIKSCC said, “We can’t carry forward a protest with someone whose direction is something else. So, I wish them the best but All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee are withdrawing from this protest right away.”
Following the announcements, farmers stationed at Chilla border took off their tents.
Meanwhile, Abhay Chautala, the lone MLA of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) in the Haryana Assembly who represents Ellanabad Assembly constituency, offered his resignation if the Union government failed to repeal the three farm legislations. The resignation was, however, not accepted by the assembly speaker.
Farmers from across the country have been staging a dharna near Delhi borders for two months now, against the recently passed farm laws. In ten rounds of talks between representatives of farmer unions and central government, no consensus could be reached. The farmers have been seeking repeal of the farm laws while the government refuses to do so, offering discussions on clauses of the laws.
Days after the Supreme Court put a three months’ stay on the laws, the central government also offered to put them on hold for 1.5 years and discuss with farmers, before implementing those.
Delhi Police detained around 200 protesters on charges of rioting and Additional PRO of Delhi Police Anil Mittal told Indian Express, “We have registered 22 FIRs in connection with Tuesday’s violence where hundreds of policemen were injured.” The FIRs name at least 10 farmer leaders, including Mr Tikait and political analyst Yogendra Yadav.