Sorry to say, Centre has not been able to solve the problem: SC on farmer protests

On the last date of the hearing, the court had asked the Centre to file a report relating to the guidelines on gatherings, while hearing pleas on the farmer protests.

The CJI told the farmers, that even after the court stays the implantation of the laws, you carry on with your protest. We do not want any criticism stating that the court is stifling the protest. Do you want to carry on with protest at the same venue or move a little so that it does not trouble the citizens, Justice Bode also said.

We hear from newspapers that the government wants to discuss the issue clause by clause and the farmers want the laws repealed. We will stay the implementation of the laws and ask the committee to look into it, CJI Bobde also said.

We are proposing a committee to look into the laws and hear out the grievances. We will stay the laws in the meantime if the government does not stay the same, the court also said.

Whether you have faith in us or not, we are the Supreme Court and we will do our job. We do not why there is an insistence on the implementation of the laws. We do not know whether you are part of the solution or problem. There is not a single petition filed here which says that the laws are beneficial, the court also said.

Our intention is to see if we can bring an amicable solution to the problem. This is why we had asked the government to put the implementation of the farm laws on hold. If there is some sense of responsibility on the government’s side, the laws should be kept in abeyance, the court further said.

Attorney General, K K Venugopal told the court that a law cannot be stayed in such a drastic manner by a three judge Bench. That is an incomplete picture, the court said while citing the latest stay on the Maratha reservation by a three judge Bench.

When the AG referred to the incident in which a stage for the Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar was destroyed, the CJI said that the SC is not saying that it would support the law breakers. We are sorry to say this, but the Union of India was unable to solve the problem. You should have been able to solve the problem, but you did not the court also said.

The court also said that if the laws are put on hold, the negotiations would be better. We are not saying we know to resolve every situation. We are only trying to break the tensions and make the atmosphere more conducive for negations. We are a Constitutional court, which is going to be responsible if the sabre rattling goes on, CJI Bobde said. The court also said that it is sorry to say that the Centre has not been able to solve the problems.

The court appointed Colin Gonsalves, Prashant Bhushan, H S Phoolka and Dushyant Dave as committee of lawyers for the protesting farmers’ unions. Gonsalves told the court that they would consult with the farmers on the SC’s proposition and get back by tomorrow.

The CJI told the farmers’ unions that the court is concerned about the loss of lives. Phoolka told the court that the protests have been infiltrated. Senior citizens farmers have come on their accord. Dave told the court that the laws put the livelihood of the farmers at risk. Nobody has brought them here, Dave also said.

CJI Bobde asked the advocates to convey to the senior citizens to go home. They need not be associated with the protest. Let me take a risk, tell them that the CJI has asked

them to go home. Convey it to them, the CJI also said.