Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah not to offend the protesting farmers.
Speaking at an event in his home district, Malik said if the Centre gives a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farmers will relent.
Meghalaya governor Malik also claimed that he prevented the arrest of farmer leader Rakesh Tikait when he heard rumours about it.
Malik further said he had requested the prime minister and the home minister to not use force against farmers and to not send them home from Delhi empty-handed.
“None of the laws are in favour of farmers. In a country in which farmers and soldiers are not satisfied, that country cannot move ahead. That country cannot be saved. Hence, the Army and farmers should be kept satisfied,” he said.
Malik said that the farmers are getting poorer day by day while the salary of government officials and staff increases after every three years.
They do not know how they are becoming poor. The ‘satyanaash’ (annihilation) of the farmers is taking place without their knowledge. When they go to sow (crops), there is some price, and when they go to reap it, the price decreases by almost Rs 300,” Malik said.
Taking a jibe at the arguments offered in favour of the new farm laws, Malik said, “A lot of noise was created that farmers can now sell (crops) at any place. This is a 15-year-old law. Despite this, when a farmer from Mathura goes to Palwal with wheat, there is a lathicharge on him. When a farmer from Sonipat comes to Narela, there is a lathicharge on him.”