The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the agitation of thousands of farmers in and around Delhi could soon snowball into a national issue and the top court is, therefore, mooting formation of a committee to hold talks and settle the matter amicably, Bar and Bench reported.
“We will form a committee to resolve the dispute. It will have members of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Government of India and other farmer organizations. We will ask farmer organizations to be also a part of the committee, as it will soon become a national issue,” Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said.
A Bench comprising Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian observed that the talks between Central government and farmers representatives was not yielding the desired results.
During hearing two petitions seeking removal of farmers protesting at the Delhi -NCR borders against the recently passed Farm Acts, the Central government told the top court that the talks with the protesting farmers have not bore fruition because the approach of the protesters is “repeal or don’t repeal.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the Centre will not do anything which adversely affects the farmers.
“What’s the point of saying so when it is adversely affecting them,” the CJI asked.
“It only a yes or no for them,” Mehta replied.
“Your negotiation will again fail as they won’t agree. Give us names of organizations who can be before us,” CJI Bobde said.
The top court then proceeded to issue notice to Central, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab governments in the petition and also gave liberty to the petitioners to implead the orgnaisations and unions representing the protesting farmers.
The case will be heard again tomorrow.
Meanwhile,
Farmers’ unions wrote to agriculture ministry, rejecting the Centre’s December 9 proposals on amending farm laws and clarifying certain provisions.
Hardening their stance on the three new agri laws, thousands of protesting farmers said they will “make” government repeal ‘anti-farmer’ legislations, and asserted that their fight has reached a stage where they are “determined” to win it no matter what.
Farmers are now blocking Noida Link Road towards Delhi at the Chilla border.
