Farmers protesting against the three agriculture acts on Thursday rejected the government’s proposal to suspend the three contentious farm laws for 18 months and set up a joint committee to find an amicable solution to end the deadlock.

The decision was announced by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of protesting unions leading protests at several Delhi border points.

“In a full general body meeting of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha today, the proposal put forth by the Government yesterday, was rejected,” a statement from the SKM said.

“The SKM pays homage to the 143 farmers who have been martyred in this movement so far. These companions are separated from us while fighting this mass movement. Their sacrifice will not go in vain and we will not go back without the repealing of these farm laws,” the statement said.

“A full repeal of three central farm acts and enacting a legislation for remunerative MSP for all farmers were reiterated as the pending demands of the movement,” it added.

The unions held a marathon meeting on Thursday to discuss the government’s proposal of suspending the farm laws.

A farmer leader said that the Morcha started its meeting around 2.30 pm on Thursday and it was expected to last till late evening.

During the 10th round of talks on Wednesday, the Centre had proposed to suspend the contentious laws for 18 months and set up a joint committee to find an amicable solution in the interest of the farming community.

The farmers had given no immediate reply and said they will hold discussions to confirm their stand.

Briefing media after a nearly five-hour-long meeting that included two breaks, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday the government has proposed to suspend implementation of the three laws for 1-1.5 years, during which period a joint committee of representatives from the government and farmers’ sides can continue their talks and those protesting on Delhi borders in extremely cold weather return to their homes.

He had hoped that this would end the over-a-month-long deadlock with the farmers.

However, the unions had indicated their rejection of the offer on the spot.

“The government proposed to suspend the farm laws for one-and-a-half years. We rejected the proposal but since it has come from the government, we will meet tomorrow and deliberate over it,” Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) president Joginder Singh Ugrahan had said.

During the meeting, the government also offered to amend the three laws but farmer leaders stuck to their demand and alleged that the Centre was avoiding discussion on a legal guarantee for MSP.

Earlier in the day, the meeting between protesting unions and police over the January 26 tractor rally remained inconclusive as the farmers stuck to their demand to take it out on Delhi's busy Outer Ring Road.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said that police officers wanted farmer leaders to take out their tractor rally outside the national capital, which is not possible.

“We will carry out our parade peacefully inside Delhi. They wanted us to hold the tractor rally outside Delhi, which is not possible,” said Yadav, who is actively participating in the ongoing agitation against the three farm laws.

Sources said that police officers tried to convince protesting farm unions to hold their tractor rally on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway instead of the Outer Ring Road.