Supreme Court stays implementation of farm laws, forms committee to hold talks

The CJI said that the court is planning to suspend the new farm laws but not indefinitely

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three farm laws, amid 48 day-long protests by farmers at Delhi borders and the failure of the Union Government to end the deadlock despite several rounds of talks.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde formed a committee, comprising agricultural economist Ashok Gulati, Anil Ghanwant, B S Mann, and Pramod Joshi, among others to hold talks with protesting farmers and the Union Government.

Track live updates of farmers' protest here

Taking up a batch of matters challenging the validity of the laws and to remove protesting farmers, the bench said, "We are willing to suspend the operation of these laws but this can't be an empty formality nor can this be indefinitely."

As advocate M L Sharma contended that the protesting farmers wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk to them, the bench said, "We have only been given negative inputs about going to the committee. Everyone will have to cooperate."

"No power can stop us from setting up a committee to evaluate the pros and cons of the farm laws and it will be part of the judicial process," the bench declared.

A group of lawyers engaged by leading farmers' unions, comprising Dushyant Dave, Colin Gonsalves, Prashant Bhushan and H S Phoolka, did not appear before the court in the hearing conducted through video conferencing.

Pointing towards their absence, senior advocate Harish Salve said, "I say it with a heavy heart but nobody wants the judicial process to achieve a result. There are people who want political objectives to be attained under the garb of these protests."

The bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, said the court had already heard them on Monday.

"We have the power to suspend the legislation. But the suspension of legislation must not be for an empty purpose. We will form a committee which will submit a report to us," the bench said.

"Every person who is genuinely interested in solving the problem is expected to go before the committee. The committee will not punish you or pass any orders. It will submit a report to us," the bench added.

Salve also pointed out that two things were causing concern, whether MSPs will be dismantled and whether farmers' lands will be sold off.

The court also issued notice to the unions of farmers on a plea by Delhi police to restrain a proposed tractors rally to disrupt Republic Day function.

During the hearing, senior advocate P S Narasimha, for one of the intervenors supporting the farm laws, contended that these kinds of protests can be "dangerous". Groups like 'Sikhs for Justice' are involved in the protests. Attorney General K K Venugopal supported Narasimha's allegation, maintaining that Khalistanis have infiltrated into the protests. He agreed to file an affidavit in this regard on Wednesday.