Farmers protest: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, states; to form negotiation committee
The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Centre and states on a batch of pleas seeking a direction to the authorities to immediately remove the farmers who are protesting at several border points of Delhi against three new farm laws. A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde, and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also indicated that the court may form a committee having representatives of the government and the farmer unions across the country to resolve the deadlock over the legislations.
SC told SG Tushar Mehta that it intends to set up a committee comprising representatives of farmers unions across India, Govt and other stakeholders to resolve this issue, adding "because this will soon become a national issue and with Government, it won't work out it seems."
In a hearing conducted via video conferencing, the bench directed the petitioners to make protesting farmer unions parties to the pleas and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.
"Your negotiations with protesting farmers have not worked apparently till now," the bench told the Centre.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the government will not do anything against the interest of farmers.
Multiple pleas have been filed in the SC seeking a direction to authorities to immediately remove the farmers, saying commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades and the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
An umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting against the new farm laws wrote to the Centre on Wednesday, asking it to stop holding "parallel talks" with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislations.
The letter by 'Sanyukt Kisan Morcha', which represents farmer bodies mostly from Punjab, comes against the backdrop of the government holding talks with several farmers organisations from different states who the Centre claimed have extended their support to the new agriculture laws.
In a letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Morcha said the Centre should also stop "defaming" the ongoing protests being held at several Delhi border points against the three farm laws.
Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Also Read: Farmer unions reject govt's proposals to amend laws, ask not to 'discredit' stir
The Supreme Court Wednesday issued a notice to the Centre and others on a batch of petitions seeking removal of farmers camping at several roads near Delhi borders in protest against the three new agri laws.
A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde, and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also indicated that the court may form a committee having representatives of the government and the farmer unions across the country to resolve the deadlock over the legislations.
In a hearing conducted via video conferencing, the bench directed the petitioners to make protesting farmer unions parties to the pleas and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.
"Your negotiations with protesting farmers have not worked apparently till now," the bench told the Centre.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the government will not do anything against the interest of farmers.
Multiple pleas have been filed in the SC seeking a direction to authorities to immediately remove the farmers, saying commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades and the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
