Will never go against farmers’ interests, says Bhupinder Singh Mann after being sacked by BKU

A day after Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann) sacked him from the primary membership of the organisation, Bhupinder Singh Mann broke his silence and claimed that being a farmer, he had never gone against the farmers protesting against the farm laws and will not do so go in future as well.

“They (union leadership) have all rights to take any decision. This is their feeling and I respect that. I don't have any grudges against them. Being a farmer, they (farmers) are members of my own family,” Mann said. The union had taken the decision to sack Mann from the outfit in a meeting of its core committee held in Khanna.

Baldev Singh Mianpur, state president of BKU (Mann), had said Mann had never shown interest in the farmers’ struggle. “He was even inclined to join the Supreme Court-appointed committee despite our organisation’s opposition,” he said.

Bhupinder Singh Mann, a former member of Rajya Sabha and national president of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Mann), who recused himself from the four-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court, also claimed that there was no point in being a part of the committee as farmers had announced that they will not appear before it.

"The people we are supposed to listen to (farmers) are saying that they won't appear before the committee. What is the point?" said Mann. When asked what took him two days to announce the decision to recuse from the committee, Mann claimed that he had not been intimated about the appointment till January 14.

"On January 12, when the decision was taken by the SC, I was contacted by several people asking me if I was the one who was appointed in the committee. I had no idea about this. I told the media that till I get an officially communication, I cannot say anything. I only received the communication on January 14," he claimed.

He said that after receiving the official communication, he spoke to the Chief Justice and informed him about his position in the matter. “I spoke to the Chief Justice and informed him that I want to recuse myself," he said.

The Supreme Court had On Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre and formed a four-member committee. The panel comprised of agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, Bhupinder Singh Mann, Shetkari Sanghatana president Anil Ghanwat and Pramod Kumar Joshi, Director, South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute.

The committee was directed to hold a dialogue with farmers and submit its recommendations pertaining to the farm laws within two months from the date of its first sitting. However, leaders of farmers' unions rejected the committee, saying its members were known to be in favour of the farm laws.

Farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national Capital since November 26, 2020 against the three farm laws - 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.