BKU's Rakesh Tikait thanks SC for 'listening to farmers' as CJI hints at staying farm laws

As the Supreme Court prepares to pass orders on the Farm Laws and protest tomorrow, Bharat Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait, thanked CJI S A Bobde on Monday, for keeping the Farmers' argument in the apex court. He added that as the SC had urged the Centre to negotiate with the farmers, the Centre which had passed these laws, could repeal them too. Sources report that farmer unions will hold a meeting with their legal team to decide their future course.

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Farmers: 'Govt can repeal the laws'

Supreme Court to pass key order on resolving impasse over farm laws on January 12

SC hints at staying Farm Laws

The Supreme Court will pass an interim order on the pleas challenging the farm laws and those seeking the removal of protesters from the Delhi borders on Tuesday. The three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian will rule on Tuesday, whether the implementation of the agrarian laws should be kept on hold during the negotiation period and might decide on constitute a committee to analyse the laws. Currently, farmers are protesting at Delhi borders for the 47th consecutive day, with Farmers demanding a total repeal and the Centre refusing to scrap the laws.

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Hearing in SC

Earlier in the day, the SC expressed disappointment with the Centre's handling of the farmers' stir and questioned the consultative process followed before enacting the laws. Taking note of the fact that some protesters are committing suicide, the CJI asked the Centre on who should be held responsible if bloodshed takes place. While Attorney General KK Venugopal argued that courts cannot stay legislation, the CJI referred to the recent three-judge bench order which stayed the implementation of a 2018 Maharashtra law granting reservation to the Maratha community. During the hearing, the CJI asked advocate HS Phoolka to convince the old people and the women among the protesters to return to their villages and also hinted at changing the site of the protest.

If the Centre does not budge, farmers have decided to celebrate the festival of Lohri on January 13 by burning copies of the newly introduced agriculture laws and a massive tractor rally on January 26 towards Delhi. The farmers have stayed firm on their demand of total repeal of the Farm acts, stating a 'lack of trust' on the Modi government, rejecting clause-to-clause discussion on the laws as their one-point demand was a repeal of the laws. Centre has agreed not to penalise farmers for stubble burning and to continue the present mechanism of giving subsided electricity for agricultural use, but refused to repeal the laws.

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