New Delhi, January 10:
The Supreme Court on Monday will hear a petition seeking immediate removal of farmers protesting against the contentious farm laws at several border points of Delhi for over a month now. As per Supreme Court website, a Bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justice A S Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian will hear the plea filed by law student Rishabh Sharma who said that commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades. He also argued that the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
He also claimed that farmers were allowed to protest peacefully at Nirankari ground in Burari but they refused to accept the offer and are still blocking the borders. Sharma further mentioned in the petition that farmers can hold their demonstration peacefully after the pandemic is over as it still a major threat for the people.
Thousands of farmers have been camping in and around Delhi borders demanding the complete withdrawal of the legislation which sailed through Parliament in September. The farm laws are Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
While the government has offered to make amendments in the legislation, farmers are have refused to accept the offer and are firm on the repeal of the laws. They are also demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system for the procurement of their crops.
The government has held several rounds of talks with the farmers to resolve the deadlock, without any positive result. The last round of talks was held on Friday, but it failed to make any headway. The next round of talks will be held on January 15.
Meanwhile, Sharma filed a memo in the top court which sought to implead over 40 farmer unions including the including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) which is spearheading the farmers’ movement, as respondents in the matter.
Some other farmers unions which are sought to be impleaded as respondents by the petitioner are – BKU-Sidhupur, BKU-Rajewal, BKU-Lakhowal, BKU-Dakaunda, BKU-Doaba, Jamhoori Kisan Sabha and Kul Hind Kisan Federation.
