Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, who spearheaded farmer protests against the three farm laws proposed by the Centre in 2020, on Sunday said that farmers do not want an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they do not want to tarnish his image abroad. His statement comes days after the Centre repealed the three agricultural laws against which several farmers’ unions had been protesting for nearly a year.
“We do not want the Prime Minister to apologise. We don’t want to tarnish his reputation abroad. If any decision would be taken, it would not be done without the consent of farmers. We honestly cultivate the fields but Delhi did not pay attention to our demands,” a rough translation of the BKU leader’s tweet in Hindi said.
Tikait, reacting to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s recent statement over bringing back three repealed farm laws, had said that the remark was intended to deceive farmers and would also humiliate PM Modi.
Speaking at the inauguration of Agro Vision Expo in Nagpur on Friday, Tomar said, “We brought the farm laws. Some people did not like them but it was a big reform after 70 years after Independence which was moving ahead under the leadership of Narendra Modiji. But the government is not disappointed. We moved a step back and we will move forward again because farmers are India’s backbone and if the backbone is strengthened, the country will become stronger,” the agriculture minister was quoted by local media.
However, the minister later clarified that the Centre has no plan to reintroduce farm laws adding that his statement during a programme was misquoted.
Tikait has threatened to restart agitation if the farm laws are re-introduced by the Centre.
The three farm laws were repealed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 19. These bills were passed during the winter session of Parliament which began on November 23.
The farmers, who had been protesting on the borders of Delhi against the three laws for almost a year, have suspended their agitation and returned to their homes.
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