Punjabi singer Babbu Maan meets Rakesh Tikait at Ghazipur stir; wants to debate film stars

Punjabi singer Babbu Maan reached the Ghazipur protest site on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on Wednesday, met the farmers, and extended support to their protest against the contentious agriculture laws. Maan, who has earlier supported the farmers' protest through his posts on social media, said he was ready to debate with Bollywood artists who think the movement was wrong.

"First and foremost, I am a farmer. I have not forgotten this and I will never forget this," the Punjabi singer said, according to a statement by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). Maan also met BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, interacted with the farmers, and sang a couple of his songs on stage.

"We have to be together in this and fight it with our full might, but stay peaceful in the protest," Maan added. For over two months, thousands of farmers have been protesting at the Delhi borders seeking the repeal of three farm laws passed by the Parliament. At present, the Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the farm laws and formed a committee to resolve the ongoing impasse.

Centre-Farmer talks stall

After 11 rounds of Centre-farmer talks, the two parties failed to reach a middle ground on Friday after a five-hour meeting with the associations refusing to agree to the Centre's proposal for suspending the implementation of the aforesaid legislation for one and a half years. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar categorically said that the Union government is ready for another meeting only if the farmers want to discuss this proposal. The Supreme Court has stayed the three laws and constituted a 3-member panel to hold talks with farmers. While Centre has welcomed this move, farmers have refused to participate in it, insisting to talk only with the Centre. The Modi government, led by the Prime Minister, has continued to assure farmers that neither MSP nor Mandis will be done away with, that the new farm laws constitute an option and not a mandate.

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(With PTI inputs)