Farm stir Updates| Bihar Cong to gherao Raj Bhavan to protest against laws

Facing heat over the ongoing farm stir, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said on Tuesday that there is no threat to the BJP-JJP coalition government and it will complete its full five year term.

Bihar unit of the Congress party said on Tuesday that it would gherao Raj Bhavan on January 15 to protest against the farm laws. All senior party leaders including sitting and former MPs, MLAs, MLCs will participate in the "Raj Bhavan gherao" programme on January 15, said Bhakta Charan Das- who is the newly appointed Bihar Congress in-charge.

Union minister of state for agriculture Kailash Choudhary said on Tuesday that the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the three new farm laws was against government’s wishes, adding that it wanted the laws to be implemented and not to be put on hold. However, he added that the Centre would accept the decision of the apex court to form a committee to resolve the impasse over farm laws.

With the Supreme Court announcing a stay on the implementation of the farm laws and the formation of a four member panel to resolve the standoff between the farmers and the Centre- protesting farmers said on Tuesday that the members of the panel and pro-government and had been justifying the laws.

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Birender Singh said on Tuesday that the BJP-led government in the state of Haryana didn't address the farmers apprehensions effectively against the three farm laws, when they were yet to be passed by Parliament and the protest was just beginning. "If this issue is not resolved early, then it could have serious repercussions for the BJP-JJP government in Haryana in the long run." Singh said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar welcomed the Supreme Court's judgement on the three controversial farm laws and the setting up of a panel to resolve the impasse between the government and farmer unions. He said that the decision taken by the apex court would be a big relief for the

After the Supreme Court's decision of keeping the three farm laws on hold, Farmer leaders said on Tuesday they welcomed the SC verdict but added that the protests would only be called off once the laws are removed.

We will stay implementation of three farm laws

A four member committee to be formed with Harsimran Mann of Bhartiya Kisan Union, Ashok Gulati academician and two others: Supreme Court.

Farmers are being misled their lands will be taken away under contracts with companies. The law clearly states that the contract is with regard to crop ans not land, says SG Tushar Mehta.

It has close to 30 lakh farmers. They said they are acceptable for going before Committee

Consortium of Indian Farmers association having 3 crore farmers said they too are willing to go to Committee but do not support stay of laws.

Kisan Mahapanchayat claims over 10000 farmers at Rajasthan border not allowed to proceed to Haryana for protest. They too agree to go before Committee.

Supreme Court issues notice on the Delhi Police's application filed seeking to stop the proposed tractor rally by protesting farmers on Republic Day.

If there is infiltration by a banned organisation and somebody is making an allegation here before us, you have to confirm it. File an affidavit by tomorrow: CJI to Attorney General

We will file an affidavit in this regard and place the IB records, says Attorney General.

We will say in the order that farmers may apply for permission to the Delhi Police Commissioner for protests at Ramlila Maidan or other locations, says CJI.

Senior advocates Dushyant Dave, HS Phoolka, Colin Gonsalves, who represents 400 farmers' bodies, haven't joined Supreme Court's proceedings today. They were supposed to consult the farmers on formation of a committee and come back today, says senior advocate Harish Salve.

Nobody should see any order from Court to be a political victory. Any stay is an endeavor by court to bring confidence in process and cool down tempers. This may be a victory for fair play, says Harish Salve.

This is not politics. There is a difference between politics and judiciary and you will have to cooperate, says SC to farmer unions, reports PTI.

Advocate ML Sharma says, the farmers are saying many persons came for discussions, but the main person, the Prime Minister did not come.

We cannot ask the Prime Minister to go. He is not a party in the case, says CJI, reports ANI.

We are forming a committee so that we have a clearer picture. We don't want to hear arguments that farmers will not go to the committee. We are looking to solve the problem. If you (farmers) want to agitate indefinitely, you can do so, says CJI, reports ANI.

We are concerned about validity of the laws and also about protecting life and property of citizens affected by protests. We are trying to solve the problem in accordance with the powers we have. One of the powers we have is to suspend the legislation and make a committee. This committee will be for us. All of you people who are expected to solve the issue will go before this committee. It will not pass an order or punish you, it will only submit a report to us, says CJI, reports ANI.

Supreme Court begins hearing several petitions challenging the three farm laws passed by the Parliament and removal of protesting farmers from Delhi's borders. Advocate ML Sharma, who filed a plea challenging the farm laws, tells the court that farmers have said they will not appear before any committee to be constituted by the court, reports ANI.

We will hold a core committee meeting after the Supreme Court's order. After this, we'll discuss it with our legal team and decide what needs to be done: Rakesh Tikait, Spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union

Deadlock continues as the government is insistent on not repealing the laws while the unions are adamant on a total rollback.

Delhi's borders with both Haryana and Uttar Pradesh remain blocked due to the ongoing farmers' agitation against the farm laws.

"Farmers who are protesting at borders of Delhi have been paid and brought to the agitation sites. They are middlemen and fake farmers. They are eating pizza, burger and KFC products and have set up gym there. This drama should stop," says S Muniswamy, BJP MP from Kolar, Karnataka.

The Supreme Court will on Monday pronounce its order on a clutch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the three contentious farm laws, as well as of those seeking removal of protesters from various borders of Delhi.