Support farmers' protest: Mamata Banerjee after meeting BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Banerjee said she supports the farmers' protest.

"We support the farmers’ protest. After the COVID-19 numbers are down, we the (Opposition) Chief Ministers will hold a discussion, as per the farmers’ request," she said.

Banerjee had earlier talked to the protesters over phone and also sent her representatives to the agitating sites, lending her support to the movement.

Tikait had visited the eastern Indian state during West Bengal Assembly Elections in Mar-Apr urging people to vote against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BKU is a part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is leading the protest against three contentious farm laws, enacted by the Narendra Modi government amid the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Farmers mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are camped along the borders of the national capital since Nov 26, 2020, protesting against the agricultural reforms which they fear would leave them at the mercy of big corporate houses.

After several rounds of talks, the government had agreed upon postponing the implementation of the laws while the protesters demanded the repeal of the laws.

The ongoing protest is crucial for the BJP as the party will be heading to polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year.