LIVE: Centre tells SC if implementation of farm laws is put on hold, farmers will not come forward for negotiations

New Delhi: Supreme court is hearing the petition seeking removal of protesting farmers from the borders. This comes a day after the top court allowed the impleadment of eight farmers’ unions as respondents in the petitions seeking the removal of protestors from the borders in the national capital.

Farm laws matter in SC LIVE: TOP POINTS

#  Attorney General asks, what kind of executive action? Farmers will not come for discussion if this happens, adds AG CJI says, it’s to enable discussions

# Supreme Court asks Centre to explore the possibility of putting legislations on hold.

# Supreme Court asks 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

# CJI says notice has to go all protesting farmers’ bodies & suggests that case to be placed before a vacation bench of the court during winter break. AG says notice has to be served to all the farmers’ representatives who have been part of the government talks so far.

# “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,” says CJI on farm laws matter

# Blocking Delhi may lead to people in the city going hungry. Your (farmers) purpose can be fulfilled by talking. Just sitting in protest won’t help, says Chief Justice of India during a hearing on farm laws

# Many farmers are from Punjab. The State has no objection to Court’s suggestion that a group of people can facilitate dialogue b/w farmers & Centre. It is for farmers & Centre to decide who’ll be on the committee, says Sr advocate P Chidambaram representing Punjab government

# Farm laws matter in SC: None of them wears a face mask, they sit together in large numbers. COVID-19 is a concern, they will visit villages and spread it there. Farmers cannot violate the fundamental rights of others, says Attorney General KK Venugopal

# Farm laws matter in Supreme Court: The committee will give a finding which should be followed. The protest can go on in the meanwhile, says CJI

# Farm laws matter in Supreme Court: 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, says CJI

# Farm laws matter in Supreme Court: The independent committee can have P Sainath, Bhartiya Kisan Union and others as members, suggests CJIYou (farmers) cannot instigate violence and cannot block a city like this, adds CJI

WHY ARE FARMERS PROTESTING?

The farmers are protesting against the recently enacted Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.