SC had expressed that it is extremely disappointed with the way negotiations between them were going and it will constitute a committee headed by a former Chief Justice of India to resolve the impasse. The court is likely to give the verdict today, on Tuesday.
“We have given you long rope, Mr. Attorney General, please don't lecture us on patience,” a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, that the top court has made harsh observations regarding the handling of the situation by the government. “That was the most innocuous factual thing for us to say,” the bench said.
The bench while hearing a clutch of pleas called the situation ‘delicate’ and said “there is not a single petition before us which says that these farm laws are beneficial.”
Don't want to appear before any SC-appointed committee: Farmer leaders
Meanwhile, a joint front of 40 agitating farmer unions on Monday welcomed the suggestion of the Supreme Court for a stay on the new farm laws implementation but said they are not willing to participate in any proceedings before a committee that is appointed by it as per a statement issued by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
The farmers want the laws to be repealed completely. The protest will continue even if the government or the Supreme Court stays their implementation said Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union President Gurnam Singh Chaduni. "We welcome the Supreme Court observation, but ending the protest is not an option. Any stay is only for a fixed period of time... till the issue is taken up by the court again," he added.
Eight rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions have failed to end the deadlock as the Centre ruled out repealing the contentious laws while the farmer leaders said their "Ghar waapsi will happen only after law waapsi". Hundreds of agitating farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been camping on Delhi's borders since November 26.