Farmers have no trust in PM Modi; govt must show legal documents: Rakesh Tikait

Despite assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, farmer leader and national spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait has said the farmers' protests on three farm bills and other issues will continue until they are repealed in Parliament.

Tikait, who is the face of farmers' protests on the farm bills, told India Today TV that he had no faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said he would first wait for further talks on the issue with the government.

“This is just an announcement by the Prime Minister. There is nothing legal in it as of now. So this movement will continue. Modi would have had the divine realisation now. We have no trust in him,” Tikait said, adding that the government must assure farmers on other issues like MSP too.

“Show us the legal papers and then the farmers can make a new start. He (Prime Minister) has the time till 24 (winter session) to contemplate further on the issue,” he said.

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On PM Modi's announcement, Tikait said it's just a start, and there's so much that needs to be discussed before reaching a conclusion. "This is a movement of the people and they are running the movement even today. Some 750 farmers lost their lives, there are cases on many and hence these are the matters that need to be discussed and a resolution will be sought through talks,” said Tikait.

After several months of farmers' protests, PM Modi today announced that the Centre will repeal the three farm laws. During a televised address to the nation on the occasion of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak's birth anniversary, Modi appealed to protesting farmers to call off their agitation against these reform measures and return home as he called for a new beginning.

Also read: Farm laws repealed: Unions refuse to budge; call for further action after PM Modi's Gurupurab announcement

The constitutional formalities to revoke the laws will be done in Parliament's winter session beginning from November 29, he said. The ruling BJP hopes the government's decision will placate Sikhs, who are in a majority in the border state of Punjab, and Jats, a major demographic constituency in the western region of UP, and will cancel out political headwinds it has encountered in the two poll-bound states besides Haryana.

However, farmers have said they will not budge until all three farms bills are repealed in Parliament.

Also read: Farm laws scrapped: India’s food processing sector may get hit badly