The court said that the situation has gone worse and said, “Tell us whether you will put the laws on hold or else we will do it. What’s the ego here?”
Farmers shout slogans at a protest site during a nationwide strike against the newly passed farm bills at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, in the Capital. (SNS)
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the central government that will it pause the implementation of the three new farm laws that has led to massive farmers near Delhi. The court said that the situation has gone worse and said, “Tell us whether you will put the laws on hold or else we will do it. What’s the ego here?”
The apex court’s sharp remark came at a hearing on petitions challenging the three farm laws and the ongoing farmers protests at Delhi border, who have been agitating for more a month.
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The bench led by Chief Justice S A Bobde slammed the Centre asking if the government was a ‘part of the solution or the problem.’ CJI Bobde said, “Each one of us we will responsible if anything goes wrong. We don’t want any injuries or blood on our hands,”
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The court suggested that the protest could continue after the implementation of the laws was stayed. It said, “But decide whether you want to carry on the protest on the same site or move to other,”
In the previous hearing the Court had noted that their was no improvement and that it was told by the Centre that ‘healthy discussions’ were gong on between the government and the union over the issues.
The bench which also comprised of Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, further said that it was concerned if the farmers were getting food and water during their protest. The court said, “We have asked in the last hearing but no answer. The situation has gone worse. People have committed suicide. Why are the old and the women part of the agitation in this weather?”
The court urged the centre for the need for a committee on the three laws and said it will stop their implementation if the panel advises doing so. The court said, “If the government is not doing it on its own, hold the implementation, we will say.”
Attorney General KK Venugopal argued that the court can form a committee but ‘don’t stay the law.’ He also said that farmer from only ‘two or three states are protesting.’
The government has held eight round of talks with farmer unions but the deadlock has continued. The farmers have demanded that the government repeal all the three farm laws as they believe that they are left vulnerable in the hands of big cooperations.
The next meeting between the farmer union and the government is slated for Friday.
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