Tikait brothers call for 'respectful solution', Kisan Morcha slams Centre for Internet shutdown

New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government was just a "phone call away" for talks with the farmers agitating against the farm laws, some union leaders on Sunday said a "respectful solution" should be found but they will not agree to anything "under pressure".

But the common banner of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, which has been holding negotiations with the Centre over the farm laws, on Sunday came down heavily on the government for its Internet shutdowns in the borders and its treatment of media personnel trying to cover their movement.

It added on a concerning note that over 100 protesters are missing from their camps since the Republic Day anarchy and that a committee had been formed to compile information on all such missing persons, following which formal actions can be initiated against the authorities.

"This committee includes Prem Singh Bhangu, Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, Avtar Singh, Kiranjit Singh Sekhon and Bajleet Singh and any information on missing persons can be shared on 8198022033 with the full name of the missing person, full address, phone number of the person and any other contact number at home and missing from when," the SKM, said, in a statement.

The farmer leaders called the charges against freelance journalist Mandeep Punia "false and fabricated", adding that they came out of the "government's great fear of being exposed for its real conspiracy and out of fear of the rising strength of the farmers' movement".

"The government does not want the real facts to reach protesting farmers, nor their peaceful conduct to reach the world. It wants to spread its false spin around farmers. It is also fearful of the coordinated work of the farmers' unions across different protest sites and is trying to cut off communication means between them. This is undemocratic and illegal." the union body said.

SKM also questioned the cordoning off of the protest sites from a long distance, disallowing ordinary people and media personnel from reaching the Singhu border protest site. "This is also to disrupt basic supplies like food and water. All these various attacks of the government are recognised by us as such, and we condemn the same", said SKM in their press statement.

Farmer leaders Rakesh and Naresh Tikait demanded that the government release the protesters to create a conducive environment for talks, even as Prime Minister Modi, during his monthly radio address, said that the country was saddened by the "insult" to the Tricolour on the Republic Day, referring to the violence at Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade. 

As hundreds of farmers continued to converge at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border following a tearful Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait's impassioned appeal on Thursday, the ripples spread deeper in western Uttar Pradesh where a mahapanchyat was held in Baghpat in support of the stir, the third in as many days in the key region.

In Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and many other districts of Uttar Pradesh, "kisan mahapanchayats" took place with farmers pouring in from nearby districts as well in tractor-trollies. The entire movement has now become personal for the farmers, who are preparing to head to Delhi's border in lakhs.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal met Rakesh Tikait, joining several other leaders from the opposition parties who have visited the protest site to extend their support.

The farmers will honour the dignity of the prime minister, but are also committed to protecting their self-respect, the Tikait brothers who are leading the agitation asserted, even as they warned that the farm laws issue could cost the BJP dear electorally.

"They (Farmers) are free to vote anyone, we cannot ask them to vote for a particular party...if a party has hurt them, why would they bring it to power again?" Naresh Tikait said.

Both leaders said they were open to talks with the government to find a "middle path".