The Supreme court said that farmers protest must continue but the roads to national capital cannot be blocked. hearing a series of petitions on farm laws the court said it would refer the matter to a vacation bench and suggested that the government not take any action to implement the law till the court takes a final decision on the issue. Attorney General KK Venugopal, who was representing the government, said he get back to the court on the issue after discussion.
“We make it clear that we recognize the fundamental right to protest against a law. There is no question of balancing or curtailing it. But it should not damage anyone’s life or property,” said Chief Justice SA Bobde.
Justice Bobde, who said yesterday that the matter must be handed over to a committee, said it must have “independent members with knowledge of agriculture and hear both sides and give report on what is to be done”. Meanwhile, the “protests can continue without violence and the police will not do anything (to stop the protests),” the Chief Justice said.
Senior advocate Harish Salve, who was representing one of the petitioners, said “Protests cannot be just for protest, but to articulate point of view,” the court said, “That is exactly what we mean”
We make it clear that we recognize the fundamental right to protest against a law. There is no question of balancing or curtailing it. But it should not damage anyone’s life or property,” Chief Justice S. A. Bobde said.
Thousands of farmers angered by three agricultural laws that they say threaten their livelihoods have intensified their protests by blocking highways and camping out on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi.
Petitioners had approached the Supreme Court to complain that the protests had hampered drivers and making it difficult for people to access emergency medical services.
“We are of the view at this stage that the farmers’ protest should be allowed to continue without impediment and without any breach of peace either by the protesters or the police,” Bobde said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration in September introduced the farm bills that the government says will unshackle farmers from having to sell their produce only at regulated wholesale markets and make contract farming easier.
Farmers insist that the new laws will leave them at the mercy of big corporations.
Six rounds of talks between government ministers and farmers’ union leaders have failed to resolve the situation.
The government has said while the laws can be amended, it is against repealing the bills. Farmers last week rejected a government’s proposal to amend the legislation.
