Farmers Protest LIVE Updates: In his tweet, the prime minister also requested citizens to circulate the letter reiterating the govt's stand as widely as possible
Farmers Protest LATEST Updates: The Supreme Court says it will not interfere with the farmers protest against three farms laws. "We're 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 police," the order said.
In its order, the top court said it considers it appropriate to constitute a committee of impartial persons, including experts on agriculture, and seek suggestions from farmers' groups and the Centre
Union Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar penned an eight-page open letter to farmers agitating against the Centre's three farm laws, requesting them to not believe in the "white lies" being spread by some people that MSP will be stopped.
"As the agriculture minister of the country, my duty is to dispel the confusion and anxiety faced by every farmer. A wall of lies and conspiracies is being created between the Centre and farmers around Delhi and other areas and its is my responsibility to bring forward the truth and reality before you," he said.
The Sanyukta Kisan Morch has decided to form a four- member internal committee to deal with all issues arising from the Supreme Court's intervention in the farmers protest under the leadership of Balbir Singh Rajewal ( BKU, Rajewal), reports CNN-News18. As per reports, the farmers will consult with four senior Supreme Court advocates- Prashant Bhushan,Colin Golsalves, Dushyant Dave and HS Phoolka.
The NCP demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi convene a special session of Parliament to address the concerns of the agitating peasants. NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapse said some farmers have laid down their lives for
the cause but the BJP government at the Centre "does not seem to be sympathising" with the protesting farmers. Hence, the issue has to be resolved at the Parliament-level, he said.
Meanwhile, a meeting at the BJP headquarters attended by top leaders including Amit Shah and Narendra Singh Tomar concluded.
In a special session of the Delhi Assembly called to discuss the farmers protest, Arvind Kejriwal backed a resolution to reject the three farms laws, which he alleged were brought in to facilitate BJP's election funding. Questioning the Centre's haste to pass the three controversial laws, the Delhi chief minister tore copies of the reforms in the Assembly.
"The Delhi Assembly today rejected all thee farm laws and has appealed to the Central government that it should take back these black laws," Kejriwal told reporters after the session.
Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar is holding a meeting with BJP general secretraries over the farm laws, reported News18. As per the Times of India, Home Minister Amit Shah and commerce minister Piyush Goyal have also reached the meeting.
The Sambhal district administration in Uttar Pradesh has issued notices to six farmer leaders asking them to submit personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each, as a police report warned of breach of peace during the protest against the new farm laws. reported PTI quoting an official.
"We've got a report from the Hayatnagar police station that some persons are inciting farmers and there can be breach of peace," said Subdivisional Magistrate Deependra Yadav.
AAP MLA Mahendra Goyal tore a copy of the Centre's farm laws during a special Delhi assembly session called to discuss farmers' agitation.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said it is not possible for the court to determine the number of people who will gather at Delhi's Ram Leela Maidan.
We recognize the fundamental right to protest against the laws and no question to curtail it. The only thing we can look into is that it should not cause damage to someone's life, said CJI on Thursday.
The bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said that that it will not decide on the constitutional validity of the three farms laws as of now.
The farmers' agitation against the Centre's new agri reform laws has entered 22nd day on Thursday.
The Supreme Court will resume hearing a batch of pleas seeking direction to the authorities to immediately remove the farmers who are protesting at several border points of Delhi against the three farm reform laws.
Observing that the Centre's talks with the protesting farmers have "not worked apparently" and were bound to fail, the Supreme Court on Wednesday stepped in and indicated forming a panel to break the three-week long deadlock, but the farm leaders dismissed the move as no solution.
The top court also said the agitation may soon become a national issue.
As the protests at the border points of Delhi for the repeal of the three new farm laws entered the 21st day, police said a Sikh preacher supporting the agitation allegedly committed suicide near the Singhu border.
A handwritten note in Punjabi, purportedly left behind by the deceased, says he was unable to bear the "pain of farmers". The note is being verified by the police.
An official of the Sonipat police said they had received a call that Sant Ram Singh (65), who hailed from Singhra village in Nissing area of Karnal district, allegedly shot himself. He was rushed to a hospital in Panipat where doctors declared him brought dead.
With the government and the leaders of the protesting farmers unable to break the impasse, a three-judge bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde mooted a committee to resolve the dispute.
"We will form a committee to resolve the dispute. We will have members of the government, members from farmer organisations in it. This may soon become a national issue. We will have members from farmer organisations from rest of India," the court said.
The parties involved were also asked to propose a list of names of committee members.
Multiple pleas have been filed in the top court seeking a direction to authorities to immediately remove the protesting farmers, saying commuters are facing hardships due to the road blockades and the gatherings might lead to an increase in the number of COVID-19
cases.
The apex court issued notices to the Centre on the petitions which also sought an amicable solution of the dispute.
During a hearing conducted via video conferencing, the bench directed the petitioners to make protesting farmer unions parties to the pleas and posted the matter for hearing on Thursday.
The court told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, "Your negotiations have not worked apparently."
"It is bound to fail. You are saying you are willing to negotiate," the bench told Mehta, who replied, "Yes, we are willing to talk to farmers."
When the apex court asked the solicitor general, who was representing the Centre to give names of the farmer organisations, which are blocking the roads on Delhi borders, he said he can provide the names of those with whom government is holding discussions.
"There are members of Bharatiya Kisan Union and other organisations who are talking to the government", Mehta said, adding that government is talking with the protesting farmer organisations and he can give those names to the court.
He also said "now, it appears that others have taken over the farmers' protest."
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is leading the government side in the negotiations, meanwhile, said the ongoing agitation at Delhi's border points is limited to one state and farmers of Punjab are being "misled" by the Opposition.
He, however, expressed hope that there will be a solution "soon" to the ongoing impasse.
Protesting farmer unions said constituting a new panel to break the stalemate on the three new agri laws is not a solution as they want a complete withdrawal of the legislations. They also said the government should have formed a committee of farmers and others before the laws were enacted by Parliament.
Abhimanyu Kohar, a leader of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sabha which is one of the 40 protesting farmer unions, said they have already rejected a recent government offer to form such a panel.
Taking to Twitter, Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, who is also a member of umbrella group Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, said, "The SC can and must decide on the constitutionality of the three farm acts. But it is not for the judiciary to decide on the feasibility and desirability of these laws. That's between the farmers and their elected leaders. SC monitored negotiation would be a wrong path."
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), which has been leading the agitation at Tikri border, said that there would be no meaning of a new committee now.
The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha wrote a letter to the Centre asking it to stop holding "parallel talks" with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislations.
With the government saying that it is waiting for the reply of farmer leaders, the Morcha said there was no question of responding as they had made their stand clear in the last round of meeting with Union ministers that they want the laws to be repealed.
In the letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, the Morcha said the Centre should also stop "defaming" the ongoing protests being held against the farm laws.
During the day, security arrangements were tightened at the Chilla border between Delhi and Noida as farmer union leaders threatened to completely block the key border point to press for their demands.
Speaking to reporters in Gwalior and at a virtual conference, Tomar insisted that the new agriculture reforms will change the lives of the farmers.
He also accused the Congress and Left parties of taking advantage of the farmers' protest to malign the image of the government.
"We are talking to farmer organisations and also those from Punjab. We will soon find a solution on the issue. The opposition is trying to mislead farmers, but it will not succeed," Tomar said.
Addressing a convention in Indore, his ministerial colleague Dharmendra Pradhan alleged that anti-Indian, feudalistic force was behind the agitation. He claimed this force was also against the concepts of 'Bharatiyata' (Indianness) and India's self-reliance.
Questioning the protest, he said, "Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has agreed to give a written guarantee that the system of procurement of crops at MSP will continue in the country. Then on what issue the farmers' agitation is happening?"
BJP's Gujarat chief CR Paatil also alleged that the ongoing agitation was a planned conspiracy by the opposition parties to create anarchy in the country and to destabilise it.
Hitting out at the Congress, he said, "Congress was in favour of these agricultural reforms when it was in power. But now, the opposition party is spreading falsehood and misguiding farmers. People need to identify such forces and remain cautious about their motives."
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the issues flagged by the agitating farmers can be solved in five minutes if Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself steps in.
"The government can solve the issue in 30 minutes sitting with the (agitating) farmers, if it wants...I think the issue will be solved in five minutes if the prime minister himself intervenes," he told PTI.
