Centre approaches SC seeking an injunction on farmers' tractor rally scheduled for Jan 26

On Monday, the Centre via the Delhi Police moved the Supreme Court seeking an injunction on any tractor rally or protest march organised in the national capital on Republic Day. The farmers have planned a huge tractor rally in Delhi on January 26 with protestors from neighbouring states such as Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in participation. On January 7, thousands of farmers conducted a rehearsal of the tractor rally whereby protesters moved from their respective sites to the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. 

In the counter-affidavit filed before the apex court earlier in the day, Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal stated, "It is submitted that the Republic Day function on 26 January each year has its own constitutional as well as historical significance". He added, "Any disruption or obstruction of the said functions would not only be against law and order, public order, public interest but also be a huge embarrassment for the nation". He insisted that the Union government had taken all efforts to engage with the farmers to remove any misapprehensions. 

Read: Centre Files Counter-affidavit In SC A Day Ahead Of Order; Details Consultative Process

Protest against farm laws

From what started as a scheduled protest in the national capital on November 26 and 27, 2020, many farmers are still protesting at the borders of Delhi against The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. While the Centre appealed to them to shift to the Nirankari Samagam Ground in Burari, only a section of farmers heeded this call. Apart from the 8 rounds of meetings that have taken place between Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar and the farmers' leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also met them on one occasion.

During the 9th round of talks, Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and MoS Commerce Som Parkash represented the Centre. While the farmers maintained that they will not move from the protest sites till the three agrarian laws are repealed, the Union government refused to concede to this demand. The meeting witnessed some acrimonious scenes with a farmer leader showing a paper with 'We will either die or win' written on it. Previously, the Centre had agreed not to penalise farmers for stubble burning and to continue the present mechanism of giving subsided electricity for agricultural use. Tomar exuded confidence that the impasse will be resolved during the next round of talks scheduled to be held at 2 pm on January 15. 

Read: PM Should Apologise To Farmers After SC Rap; Repeal Farm Laws: Cong