Supreme Court Suspends Implementation of Three Farm Laws, Forms Committee

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three farm laws which have been a bone of contention between the central government and the farmers and set up a committee to examine the grievances of the protesting farmers.

"Implementation of the laws will stand stayed," a bench led by the CJI S A Bobde said. The committee would hear all objections to the law. Those who wish to appear before it can do so. The committee will report back to the court.

The committee will comprise among others agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and Pramod Kumar Joshi, Director South Asia International Food Policy Research Institute, Anil Ghanwat of the Sethkari Sangathan and B S Mann of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.

The top court said that the committee would give the farmers a "level playing field" and expressed the hope that the farmers would join the proceedings. If you can appear before the government you can appear before a court appointed committee, the CJI said to those farming organisations which were present in court.

The CJI left law and order issues arising from the farmers proposed tractor rally in Jan 26 to be dealt with by the police. Why can't police limit their numbers and ensure that they are allowed unarmed, he asked the ag and the sg.

Attorney General K K Venugopal though cited IB reports to claim that certain banned Khalistani groups had infiltrated the protests and may interfere with the republic day parade. He said that there's no knowing where they will go if allowed into Delhi.

The bench then asked him to swear an affidavit that this was true and issued notices to all organisations protesting about the laws on why the proposed tractor rally shouldn't be called off.

Mehta also backed claims that some other interest groups had joined in the protests to mislead farmers that the MSP scheme was being dismantled and they would lose their land if they failed to keep their part of the bargain in contract farming.