SKM 5-Member Panel Meet Underway, Likely To Decide on Fate of Farmers' Protest

On Tuesday, the SKM said they would take a final decision on the protests during a meeting on Wednesday, at 2 pm.

Farmers at the Sidhu border marking one year of protest against the controversial farm laws. Representational image only.

(Photo: The  Quint)

A five-member committee of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) is holding an urgent meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, 8 December, news agency ANI reported.

The meeting will reportedly deliberate on the amendments to the Centre's draft proposal and will decide whether the ongoing farmers' agitation can be called off.

The panel members include farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ashok Dhawle, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Yudhvir Singh, Hindustan Times reported.

On Tuesday, rejecting the Centre's condition, which said that cases against farmers would be withdrawn once the farmers called off their agitation, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha said they would take a final decision on the same during a meeting on Wednesday, at 2 pm.

Addressing the media on Tuesday evening, the SKM said, "Government's proposal says that after we end the movement, only then would they withdraw the cases against farmers. However, we're apprehensive about it. Government should immediately begin with the cases' withdrawal procedure. Final decision to be taken at tomorrow's meeting at 2 pm."

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that the government's proposal was not clear. "We have our apprehensions which will be discussed tomorrow at 2 pm. Our movement is not going anywhere, we will be here," he said.

"SKM has said it today (that protest will be withdrawn), government has been saying so for a year. But no one is going home until everything is resolved," he added.

(With inputs from ANI and Hindustan Times.)