Farmers’ protests: SC to deliver order on farm laws today

On Monday, the bench had asked the Central government if it was willing to pause the implementation of the laws; it said the court will otherwise do it

The Supreme Court will today take up a clutch of petitions on farm laws, a day after it indicated that the three contentious legislations will have to be put on hold for create an atmosphere conducive for talks.

Farmers raise slogans during the ongoing protest against the new farm laws at Haryana-Rajasthan border. (HT Photo)

The SC bench, led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, has fixed the matter on Tuesday for delivering an order.

On Monday, the bench had asked the Central government if it was willing to pause the implementation of the laws; it said the court will otherwise do it. Attorney General KK Venugopal was asked to come back with a response.

Similarly, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the farmers’ unions, was also asked to consult the farmers and inform the court if they were willing to join the deliberations before a committee, which the court proposed to constitute for resolving the issues.

However, late on Monday evening, the unions issued a statement that they would not want to go before the proposed committee. According to the unions, it would not make any sense to go before the committee after the government’s affidavit which maintained that laws will not be repealed.

The hearing in the top court is scheduled around 12pm today.