The Supreme Court Monday said it is extremely disappointed with the way negotiations are going on between the Centre and the farmers on the new farm laws, against which several farmer organisations are staging protest at Delhi borders.
"What is going on? States are rebelling against your laws", a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde told the Centre. “We are extremely disappointed with the negotiation process,” he said.“If the Centre does not want to stay the implementation of farm laws, we will put a stay on it,” the CJI added.“We don't want to make any stray observations on your negotiations but we are extremely disappointed with the process,” said the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.
The apex court, which was hearing a clutch of pleas challenging the new farm laws as well as the ones raising issues related to the ongoing agitation at Delhi borders, said it is not talking about the repeal of these farm laws at the moment.“This is a very delicate situation,” the bench said, adding, “There is not a single petition before us which says that these farm laws are beneficial.”“We will stay implementation of laws,” the CJI said. “You can carry on the protest. But the question is whether the protest should be held at the same site,” he added.“Some people have committed suicide, old people and women are a part of the agitation. What is happening?” he said.
Arguing for the government, Attorney General KK Venugopal said: "You can form a committee but don't stay the laws." He referred to past judgments stating courts can't hold a law without going into its unconstitutionality. Venugopal also sought to highlight that "only farmers from two or three states are protesting", that there was no participation from southern or western India.
In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had noted that there was no improvement on the ground, and it was told by the Centre that "healthy discussions" were going on between the government and the unions over all outstanding issues.
The government has, in eight rounds of talks with farmer unions, ruled out withdrawing the laws but has reasserted that it is open to amendments.The farmers say they will accept nothing short of the government cancelling the laws, which they believe will kill their guaranteed earnings and benefit corporates. They have refused to buy the Central government's argument that the laws will bring long-delayed reforms in the agriculture sector by doing away with middlemen and allowing farmers to sell anywhere in the country.The next meeting will be held on Friday.
