Centre agrees to withdraw cases, farm stir set to be called off today

THE SAMYUKTA Kisan Morcha (SKM) will meet Thursday noon at the Singhu border of Delhi to take a “formal decision” to lift the year-long protest against the farm laws after the 32 unions under its ambit accepted a revised draft proposal from the Government, including the unconditional withdrawal of all police cases lodged against protesters during the agitation.

In the revised proposal Wednesday, the Government said that in light of the concessions proposed, there was no justification for the agitation to continue and requested the unions to call it off. Following a meeting of farm unions, the SKM said that if it receives a formal communication from the Government authorising its demands by Thursday noon, it is likely that the “agitation would be called off or temporarily suspended”.

According to the amended proposal, the Centre will also appeal to other states to withdraw all cases lodged against protesters during the agitation. Sources told The Indian Express that the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana — all BJP-ruled states — have agreed to simultaneously withdraw all cases lodged against the protesters with immediate effect.

All the cases lodged against protesters and their supporters in Delhi and by different central agencies, such as NIA and ED, will also be withdrawn, sources said.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said: “The Government has agreed to withdraw all the cases…The agitation is heading towards success.”