NEW DELHI: The seventh round of talks between the Centre and the agitating farmers hit a dead end at the Vigyan Bhawan here on Monday with neither side showing any inclination to back down from their respective stand.
The Centre refused to repeal the three farm laws claiming that they were brought for the betterment of the farmers and majority of them across the country were supporting the reforms; as such, the government cannot withdraw them just because a minority of farmers from one region want it.
The farmers pressing for rollback are mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh and they should know that three states do not constitute India, said an official assisting the ministers.
Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar "clearly said that the laws will not be repealed. He even told us to approach the Supreme Court for repeal of the laws," said Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who attended the meet. "We urge the youth of Punjab to prepare for a long haul. We will take out a big procession on Republic Day," he added, reports NDTV.
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The meeting started with a homage to those who have died on the Delhi borders in the course of the movement that entered its 39th day on Monday.
The union leaders clearly told the ministers that they are here only to discuss the modalities for repeal of the laws and want the government to spell out how it propose to do so. They said the easiest way is to bring an Ordinance to roll back all the three laws.
They also sought a legal framework promised in the last round to give a guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
At the protest site at the Sindhu border, the Punjab leaders threatened to withdraw "sons of the Sikhs" from the military. In a tweet, the coordinating body of Kisan Ekta Morcha said: "We give you food to eat, give you sons to fight at the border, and are giving our live here, while asking for the rights."
It is understood that the next round of talks with the agitating farmers will be held on Friday at 2 PM.
