DW BUREAU / chandigarh Farmer leaders from Punjab and Haryana have expressed apprehension on the Centre's recently formed committee on minimum support price alleging that the government wants to bring back the repealed farm laws through the backdoor. Farmer leaders felt the committee should have limited itself to the issue of MSP while other topics such as ways to promote natural farming and crop diversification among others could have been dealt with separately. Bhartiya Kisan Union-Dakaunda leader Manjit Singh Dhaner claimed the government constituted the panel as a mere formality. "Only a formality has been done by forming this committee. Our fight for legal guarantee to MSP will continue. Our demand was for a separate panel on the MSP issue," he said. Dhaner also alleged that some members, who are part of the committee, had earlier supported the three farm laws. "It seems the government again wants to bring back the farm laws through the backdoor," he said. Haryana BKU (Chaduni) chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the farmers had demanded a committee on MSP, "but many issues like crop diversification etc. have been connected to dilute the MSP issue". He, too, echoed Dhaner saying people who had openly advocated the farm laws were in the committee. "It seems the government wants to bring back the farm laws through the backdoor again..We (BKU-Chaduni) boycott this committee," Chaduni said. Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, also the chairman of a temporary committee to advise the Punjab government on matters of public importance, alleged the central government's committee "is the latest example of BJP's cynical and shortsighted bungling on agriculture, as the disastrous dispensation learns no lessons." He also objected to the exclusion of Punjab institutions and state government representatives from the committee. "By deliberately excluding Punjab, the central government has insulted our people," Chadha tweeted. He claimed principles of federalism have been violated through non-representation of the states, especially Punjab. "Clear evidence that the BJP cannot lead India in a unified manner, specially on issues important to its farmers. It's clear as day why making MSP 'effective' is on the table, but legal guarantee for minimum MSP is not," Chadha said. Bharti Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said there were several apprehensions regarding the committee. (editor@dailyworld.in)