Published 20:41 IST, January 12th 2021
Rahul Gandhi proclaims continued protests till Farm Laws are repealed; opposes SC's panel
Opposing the Supreme Court's 4-member committee to mediate between Centre-farmers, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, claimed farmers won't get justice
Opposing the Supreme Court's 4-member committee to mediate between Centre and farmers, ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, claimed that farmers will not get justice from the committee in which members had opined publically in support of the laws. Gandhi proclaimed that the struggle against the laws will continue till they are repealed by the government. The three-judge SC bench comprising Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice AS Bopanna, and Justice V Ramasubramanian has stayed the three farm laws passed by Parliament for at least 2 months, setting up a 4-member committee to solicit the views of farmers and the Union government.
Rahul Gandhi: 'Fight will continue till repeal'
SC stays Farm Laws
The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the implementation of the three controversial farm laws until further orders and formed a four-member committee to hold talks and resolve the stand-off between the farmers and the Centre. A key point of the hearing was that four top lawyers who had appeared for the farmers' groups and others in the hearing on Monday failed to appear, as the unions do not wish an SC intervention in the matter. The 4-member committee of Ashok Gulati, Bhupinder Singh Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi and Anil Ghanwat must submit its recommendations pertaining to the farm laws within two months from the date of the first sitting - which will happen within 10 days.
While the SC has urged representatives of all farmer unions, irrespective of whether they are holding a protest or not to participate in the deliberations of the committee and put forth their viewpoints. Though the court said that it did not intend to stifle a "peaceful protest", it appealed to the farmers' unions to convince their members to get back to their livelihood as a result of this "extraordinary order". The farmer unions' have refused to participate in the talks claiming all four members in the committee support the Farm Laws, while the Centre has welcomed the Supreme Court's decision.
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait, on the other hand, has stated that farmers are unhappy with the SC's order and that the farmer protests will continue till the laws are repealed by the government and MSP is made a law. Farmers have also stated that the Kisan Parade will be held at Delhi and all over the country in large numbers, without hampering the official Republic Day parade. Protests continue at Delhi borders for 48th consecutive day.
Updated 20:41 IST, January 12th 2021