Farmers' Protest SC Hearing: Supreme Court while hearing the pleas seeking the removal of protesting farmers from the borders of Delhi, asked the Centre to explore possibilities of putting the newly legislated farm laws, which are the point of contention between government and farmers on hold.'


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Supreme Court asked the Attorney General if the government can assure the Court that it will not take any executive action on implementation of the law till the court hears the matter.


The apex court acknowledged the right of farmers to non-violent protests, and said it was thinking of setting up an "impartial and independent" panel of agriculture experts and farmer unions to resolve the impasse over three contentious farm laws.


A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said it would set up the committee which may include experts like P Sainath and representatives of the government and farmers' bodies to look for the resolution of the deadlock over the statutes.


The bench also comprising justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, "We acknowledge the right of farmers to protest but it has to be non-violent."


In a hearing conducted via video conferencing, the top court said the purpose of staging protest can be achieved if the farmers and the government will hold talks and "we wish to facilitate that".


"We are also Indian, we're familiar with the plight of farmers and are sympathetic to their cause. You (farmers) have to only alter the way the protest is going. We will ensure you can plead your case & thus we are thinking of forming a committee," said CJI.


“A protest is constitutional till it does not destroy property or endanger life. Centre and farmers have to talk; We are thinking of an impartial and independent committee before whom both parties can give its side of story,” the CJI stated.


"We will not decide the validity of law today. The only thing which we will decide is the issue of protest and the right to move freely," the bench made clear at the outset of the hearing which is still going on.


(inputs from agencies)