Put farm laws on hold, or we will, SC tells govt
Tells the Supreme Court that the three legislations enacted last year are a result of two decades of deliberations
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said it was “extremely disappointed” with the way the Union government was handling the controversy surrounding the three farm laws at the core of massive protests at the Capital’s borders, and indicated that these laws will have to be put on hold to create an atmosphere conducive for talks.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde asked the government if it was willing to pause the implementation of the laws; it said otherwise the court will do it, and also constitute a committee to examine the farmers’ grievances with the legislation.
“Why there should be an insistence to implement a law at any cost?” the bench asked attorney general KK Venugopal, and urged him to come back with a reply if the government was willing to stay the operation of the three laws of its own accord, because the court would otherwise be inclined to do so through a judicial order.
It also sought to confirm the consent of the farmers’ unions in joining the deliberations before t he court-appointed committee, and asked their lawyer Dushyant Dave to consult the farmers and inform it on Tuesday, when the court will pass its order.
The hearing witnessed sharp criticism of the government by the top court in handling the disputations over the recently enacted agricultural laws.
As soon as the hearing commenced on Monday before the bench, which also included justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, the A-G drew the court’s attention towards the next round of talks slated for January 15.
But the bench retorted: “We don’t wish to hear all this.We are extremely disappointed with the way the government is handling this issue. We don’t know what kind of consultation went on before you brought this law. And since the last three-four times, you have been telling us we are talking; we are talking. What are you talking? How are you talking?”
NEW DELHI: The central government has in the Supreme Court blamed “vested interests” for instigating the ongoing farmers’ protests, maintaining that the recently enacted farm laws have in reality received “wide acceptance” throughout the country.
In its affidavit filed hours after Monday’s hearing, the government told the court that the three legislations are a result of two decades of deliberations and that the demand to repeal them in entirety is “neither justifiable nor acceptable.”
“The Acts have received wide acceptance throughout the country and, therefore, some farmers and others objecting to the law had put a condition of its repeal, is neither justifiable nor acceptable,” said the affidavit, filed by the agriculture ministry.
The government submitted that the affidavit was prepared and filed “hurriedly” after the conclusion of the hearing on Monday during which the SC bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde, expressed its inclination to suspend the operation of the laws while questioning the consultation process and their efficacy.
“This affidavit is filed only to remove a deliberate wrong perception created systematically by non-farmer elements present at the protest site and using media/social media, and to apprise this Hon’ble Court with true facts,” said the government.
It claimed that “the farmers of the nation are happy” as they are given an additional option over and above the existing ones. “The agitation by/in the name of some of the farmers may, therefore, not be treated as reflection on the validity of the law or its efficacy and usefulness for the farmer community,” said the affidavit.
The government said the agitation being limited to just one place in the country was an evidence that majority of farmers were not only happy with the legislations but found these legislations to be progressive and in their interest.
The affidavit said the government wished to also dispel “the erroneous notion that the protestors have peddled that the Central Government and the Parliament never had any consultative process or examination of issues by any Committee before passing of the laws.”
“The legislations are not hurriedly made but is a result of two decades of deliberations. The farmers of the nation are happy as they are given an additional option over and above the existing and, therefore, no vested right is taken away,” it said.