Republic Day lawsuit against farmers is being discussed with the Center

The non-withdrawal of cases filed against some leaders in the January 26, 2021, Red Fort case is reportedly what caused the breakdown in talks between the Center and protesting farmer unions affiliated with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and MSP guarantee for all crops, debt waiver, and crop price fixing based on the Swaminathan Commission’s formula.

During the four rounds of negotiations this month, the unions made a number of requests, some of which the Center had agreed to. These included paying farmers injured in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri Rs. 10 lakh in compensation; canceling the majority of FIRs during the 2020–21 Kisan Morcha; providing jobs and compensation to the families of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident; raising the standard of all crop seeds; revoking licenses; and enforcing penalties against businesses producing and selling inferior seeds.

The cancelation of the FIR filed against leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) was one of the controversial topics between the two parties, according to information obtained by The Tribune.

On January 26, 2021, at the Bhalswa Dairy Police Station, a FIR was filed against Satnam Pannu, Sarwan Singh Pandher, and others for straying from the tractor march route that farmer unions were permitted to use in protest of the three farm regulations and in an effort to go to Red Fort. It was at that point that the other leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, who were leading the morcha, openly disassociated themselves from the day’s actions.

The leaders of the KMSC were charged under Section 3 of the Epidemic illness Act and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act with violating an order issued by a public servant and engaging in activities that might result in the spread of a hazardous illness (Covid-19).

The Tribune has been informed by official sources in attendance that Pandher orally requested the deletion of this FIR as well as other FIRs filed against farmers during the protest that lasted a full year. Pandher, however, has refuted claims that he asked for the FIR against him to be withdrawn.

Speaking with farmer groups, three Central ministers allegedly said that the FIR was for a crime deemed “heinous” and could not be withdrawn for that reason.