‘What interest do we have’: Supreme Court's clear warning on farm laws panel

The court also issued a notice to the Centre on an application by Bhartiya Kisan Party for filling up vacancy in the four-member committee created by resignation of Bhupinder Singh Mann.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took "serious objection" to farmers' criticism of the committee it formed to resolve impasse over farm laws. It also warned the farmers against casting aspersions on the court.

Police personnel walk past a bus with farmer leaders before it leaves for Vigyan Bhawan to attend a meeting with the central government over the new farm laws, at Singhu border near Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

"We have serious objections on people whom we have appointed are being called names and that this court has interest in appointing them. What interest do we have other than decide on constitutionality? We will not expose people whom we appointed to be maligned this way based on public opinion by majority," the three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said while hearing a petition against farmers' proposed tractor rally on Republic Day.

"No power has been given to committee members to adjudicate things, they have to report to us. Where is the question of bias? If you don't want to appear before committee, don't appear but don't malign or brand anyone like this, don't cast aspersions on the court," it further said.

The court also issued a notice to the Centre on an application by Bhartiya Kisan Party for filling up vacancy in the four-member committee created by resignation of Bhupinder Singh Mann of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). Mann was the only farmer leader appointed by the apex court to resolve the nearly two-month-long farmers’ agitation on Delhi’s borders.

In a statement, the BKU president had said that will always stand with farmers.

The top court had, on January 12, stayed the implementation of the three laws passed by Parliament in September. The farmers who have been protesting against these laws for 56 days now want them repealed, but the government has categorically said no to that.

So far, nine rounds of talks have happened between the government and the protesting farmers but the impasse is still continuing. A tenth round will take place today afternoon.

The contentious farm laws are farmers are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.