Centre should scrap new farm laws: Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena on Thursday askedPrime Minister Narendra Modi to honour the sentiments ofprotesting farmers and scrap new controversial farm laws, andsaid he will ''grow bigger'' in stature by doing so.

An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'also accused the Centre of trying to end the farmers' protestby using the Supreme Court as the front.

The SC on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the newfarm laws till further orders and decided to set up a four-member committee to resolve the impasse between the Centre andfarmers' unions protesting at Delhi borders.

The editorial said the deadlock over the issuecontinues despite the SC's decision, and noted that thefarmers' bodies have rejected the committee's four members asthey allegedly supported the farm laws earlier.

''Prime Minister Modi should welcome the protest andthe courage of farmers. (He) should scrap the laws honouringthe sentiments of farmers. Modi will grow bigger than what heis today. Grow bigger Modi!'' the Marathi publication said.

The sentiments of farmers need to be understood if thegovernment wants the situation not to deteriorate further, itsaid, referring to the tractor rally planned by farmers'bodies in Delhi on January 26.

It claimed that 60 to 65 farmers have made sacrificedtheir lives in the protest so far, and the country has notseen such a disciplined agitation till now after Independence.

The editorial also termed as ''shocking'' the Centre'sclaim before the Supreme Court that 'Khalistanis' haveinfiltrated the farmers' protest.

''It is also the government's failure if Khalistanishave infiltrated the protest. The government does not want toend the protest and wants to play politics by giving theagitation a colour of treason,'' it alleged.

It claimed ''the government will block farmers bylifting the stay on the implementation of the laws onceprotesters at the Singhu border (near Delhi) return home''.

''Hence, what has to happen will happen only now. Thefarmers' bodies are in a 'do or die' mood,'' it said.

The Marathi daily also asked if ''lakhs of farmers''will be labelled as ''anti-national'' if they are not going toaccept the Supreme Court's decision.