Farmer representatives will join committee only when there is room for negotiations: KTS Tulsi

Congress MP and senior Supreme Court Advocate KTS Tulsi on Tuesday said that farmers will only join the suggested committee by the Apex court only when there is some room for negotiations available.

"Farmers will join the committee when they feel that there is some room for negotiations. They are also going to watch the manner in which the committee conducts itself," Tulsi told here.

The Congress Rajya Sabha MP also appreciated the order given by the Supreme Court and said that 'few positive things have happened'.

"It is one of the few positive things that has happened. Farmers should be grateful to the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India (CJI) for having understood their problems. This will result in confidence-building," he said.

"Until now the government has taken a confrontational attitude on every issue and as a result trust deficit deepened. So, this order will help develop confidence," he added.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi questioned the credibility of the committee and said, "Can justice be expected from individuals who have written in support of anti-agricultural laws? This struggle will continue till the end of anti-farmer laws. Jai Jawan! Jai Kisan!"

Earlier in the day, hours after the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of three farm laws, the farmer union leaders who are protesting against the laws for over a month said the agitation will "go on as usual".

They also alleged that the members who are in the committee set up by the Supreme Court for talks are pro-government and had been justifying the laws of the government.

"We had said yesterday itself that we won't appear before any such committee. Our agitation will go on as usual. All the members of this committee are pro-government and had been justifying the laws of the government. The formation of the committee is an act to divert attention from the issue," Balbir Singh Rajewal, Bhartiya Kisan Union (R) said while addressing a press conference here at Singhu border, where farmers are protesting against the farm laws for over a month now.

The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde heard a batch of petitions, including those filed by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, RJD MP Manoj K Jha, regarding the constitutional validity of three farm laws, passed by the Central government along with the plea to disperse protesting farmers.

Farmers have been protesting at the different borders of the national capital since November last year, against the three newly enacted farm laws - Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

( With inputs from ANI )