Centre should repeal farm laws, work for normalising situation: Mayawati

The multi-layered barricading, barbed wires and roadblocks at Delhi's borders to "threaten" protesting farmers is not appropriate and the Centre should fulfil their demand of repealing the new agri laws, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said on Wednesday.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said that "due to the government's attitude towards the agitating farmers, who are demanding the withdrawal of the agricultural laws, essential work of the Budget session of Parliament and discussions on special issues of public interest are getting affected".

Cement barriers, barbed wire, spikes on roads and policemen in large numbers dominate the farmers' protest sites on Delhi's borders at Singhu and Ghazipur, while both Houses of Parliament faced repeated adjournments on Tuesday as Opposition members disrupted proceedings, demanding a discussion on the central agri-marketing laws enacted last September.

The Centre should work towards normalising the situation by fulfilling the demand of the farmers, Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

"At the same time, the barricading, barbed wire and nails (on roads) etc. on the borders of Delhi to threaten families of lakhs of agitated farmers is not appropriate. Instead of this, it would be better if such action is on the borders of the country to stop terrorists," she said in another tweet.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at the national capital's borders for over two months against the laws.

They are demanding that the government repeal the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.