SC to hear pleas challenging Centre's Farm Laws & protest on Delhi borders on Monday

With eight rounds of talks between Centre and farmers failing to breakthrough, the Supreme Court will hear pleas challenging the Centre's Farm Laws and pleas on issues related to the ongoing farmers' protest at Delhi borders. This hearing comes after CJI Sharad Arvind Bobde asked if necessary precautions were taken at the protest site leading to a ' Nizamuddin Markaz-like event' amid the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The next round of talks between the farmers and Centre is scheduled on January 15.

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SC to hear pleas against farm laws & protest on Monday

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court said, "We understand the situation and encourage the consultation. We can adjourn the matters on Monday (January 11) if you submit the same due to the ongoing consultation process," after the Centre assured that "healthy discussions" were going on between the government and the unions, pointing that SC intervention would hamper talks. On Saturday, a farmers' body, Consortium of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA), moved the top court in support of the three laws and sought impleadment in the matter. Farmers have refused to challenge the laws, telling the Centre their 'ghar waapsi' will happen only after 'law waapsi'.

Previously on December 17, the SC had refused to stay the farmers protest stating that the agitation should be allowed to continue “without impediment” and this court will not “interfere” with it as the right to protest is a fundamental right. Meanwhile on Friday, the farm leaders said that the Centre told them that the issue is best resolved by the Supreme Court, however, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar did not comment on it. 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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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. The farm union leaders were sent a 10-point proposal by the Centre assuring to give written guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), empowering states to create a law which will prevent misuse of traders' registration, continuing current electricity bill payment done by the government and amend the stubble burning penalty clause.

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(With PTI Inputs)