SC stay on three contentious farm laws splits everyone down the middle

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Mumbai: The move of the Supreme Court of India (SC) to stay the implementation of the three contentious farm laws appears to have split everyone down the middle. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called for nothing less than a complete roll back of the farm laws. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its president Sharad Pawar welcomed the SC ruling.  

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has termed the four member committee set up by the SC to resolve the issue as being “pro-corporate”. While the defensive ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cautiously tried to argue that the stay does not mean that the three farm laws are bad in law.

In a tweet former Congress president Rahul Gandhi demanded a complete roll back of the three farm laws. “It is a futile attempt by the government to divert attention of the farmers by talking about vague things. Farmers are aware of the government’s intention. Their demand is clear – take back the anti-farmer laws”.

Also Read: Farmer leaders welcome SC verdict staying implementation of 3 agri laws, but say protest to continue

Former union Agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar welcomed the SC ruling. In a series of tweets he said. “Welcome decisions taken by the Apex Court of India to put on hold the implementation of three farm bills and set up a four member committee to resolve the issue”. In another tweet he added, “It is a big relief for farmers and I hope that a concrete dialogue between the central government and farmers will be initiated now keeping the farmers interests and wellbeing in mind”.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) and All India Kisan Sabha leader Dr Ajit Navale while reacting to the SC ruling remarked that the farmer’s confidence in the farmers has further grown after the SC ruling and the battle has taken a step forward. In regards to the SC set up committee, he said that the joint action committee of all the farmer unions will take a call on whether to attend the committee meeting.

 Dr Navale remarked that the SC constituted committee comprises leaders and agriculturists who already favour the farm laws. He added that the farmer’s agitation shall continue until the farm laws are not repealed and Minimum Support Price (MSP) is not brought under the ambit of the law. 

State NCP president and Water Resources minister Jayant Patil while welcoming the SC imposed stay on the farm laws stated that until the three laws are not scrapped the farmers are not going to withdraw. Calling upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to let go of his adamant stand, he said that the Center should soon take steps to scrap the three farm laws.

Adopting a cautious and defensive approach, state BJP spokesperson Vishwas Pathak argued that the government has the right to make laws, while people have the right to agitate. However, the farmer’s agitation has dragged on for some months now. In a bid to find a way out the SC has set up a committee which is an interim mechanism. He further argued that the stay imposed on the three farm laws by the SC in no way has declared them as bad in law or has gone into the merits of the law.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day while delivering its ruling on the bunch of petitions before it, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde came down heavily on the Centre. “No power can prevent us from making a committee. We have power to suspend legislation. Farmers who genuinely want resolution will go to committee. Cannot ask the Prime Minister to go for discussion with the farmers. Will not hear arguments that farmers won’t go to committee. If they want to agitate indefinitely, they can do so”, said the CJI.

The SC while staying the implementation of the 3 farms laws formed a four member committee of agriculturists to hear farmers’ grievances against farm laws. The committee comprises H S Mann, Pramod Kumar Joshi, Ashok Gulati and Anil Dhanwant.

In a related development the SC has sought Centre’s response on allegations of banned organisations infiltrating the farmer protests. The SC also issued notice on Delhi Police application seeking to restrain farmers from holding tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi.