BKU leader Mann recuses himself from SC committee on farm laws

Bhartiya Kisan Union national president Bhupinder Singh Mann on Thursday said he is recusing himself from four-member committee appointed by Supreme Court to resolve delock between farmers and Centre over new agri-marketing laws.

Mann's anuncement came on a day when his organisation’s Punjab unit decided to disassociate itself from him.

Farmer unions and opposition parties too h raised doubts over composition of panel, insisting that its members have been in favour of three laws in past.

Mann said he is thankful to apex court for minating him to panel but would give up any position to prevent farmers' interests from being compromised.

As a farmer myself and a union leer, in view of prevailing sentiments and apprehensions amongst farm unions and public in general, I am rey to sacrifice any position offered or given to me so as to t compromise interests of Punjab and farmers of country, he said in a statement here.

I am recusing myself from committee and I will always stand with my farmers and Punjab, said Mann who was also an ex-MP. apex court h on Tuesday stayed implementation of three central laws till furr orders and anunced formation of a committee to hear grievances of farmers and opinion of government.BKU (Punjab) president Baldev Singh Mianpur claimed that Mann might have decided to change his stand after he got a whiff of ir meeting.

“We decided to disassociate ourselves from Mann as he did t consult with us to work as a committee member,” Mianpur said.

We thought that farmers were fighting for ir rights and y were against any committee and n what was point in being part of panel,” he said, ding that decision to disassociate itself from Mann was taken in a meeting held at Khanna.He said BKU does t recognise SC-appointed committee and y are with or farm bodies seeking a repeal of new farm laws.

Mann, 81, is also chairman of All-India Kisan Coordination Committee. He remained a Rajya Sabha MP from 1990-96. He h supported Congress in 2012 and 2017 Punjab assembly polls.Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa welcomed Mann's decision and hoped that or three committee members will also recuse mselves. four-member committee has furr eroded trust between farmer unions and government, Bajwa said, ding that all four members have publicly written in support of farm laws.

“It is my hope that or three members of committee also recuse mselves. It is an unfortunate situation to be placed into, but given ir very public support of se farm laws makes ir position untenable. It is impossible for farmers to trust in impartiality of a committee whose members have vociferously supported farming laws,” Bajwa said in a statement.

Farm bodies also hailed Mann’s decision.

“He did right thing, orwise, he would have faced farmers' anger,” Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh said.

Apart from Mann, Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute's Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture ecomist Ashok Gulati were appointed to panel.While welcoming stay on implementation of new laws, farmer unions h said y would t appear before group. ir leers h claimed that members of committee are "pro-government".

Supreme Court, however, expected m to participate.

“ representatives of all farmers' bodies, wher y are holding a protest or t and wher y support or oppose laws shall participate in deliberations of committee and put forth ir viewpoints,” it h said.

committee was asked to submit its report to Supreme Court within two months of its first sitting, which is to take place within 10 days.

Farmers who have been camping at Delhi borders for several weeks are demanding a repeal of farm laws and a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops. 

(IM CREDITS:facebook.com/bhupindersinghmann)