Kejriwal Tears Copies of Farm Laws; Amit Shah Meets BJP Gen Secys
Catch all the updates on the farmers’ protests here.
As the farmers' protest against the three contentious laws entered its 22nd day on Thursday, 17 December, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said that a protest is constitutional till it does not destroy property or endanger life.
Meanwhile, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tore up copies of the farm laws during a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Thursday.
On the other hand, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, along with Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, attended a meeting with BJP general secretaries to discuss the farmers' agitation, ANI reported.
- As protests intensify in Delhi, several farmers’ unions from other states have supported the Centre’s new farm laws
- A 65-year-old priest of a gurdwara killed himself near Singhu, with a ‘suicide note’ saying he was pained by the farmers’ plight
- Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of the religious leader. He also urged the government to immediately withdraw the new farm laws
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Rahul Gandhi Condoles Death of Priest at Singhu Border
On Wednesday, a 65-year-old priest of a Gurdwara in Haryana allegedly killed himself at the Singhu border protest site.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of the priest on Wednesday. Gandhi also urged the government to immediately withdraw the new farm laws.
'Anti-India Force' Behind Farmers' Agitation
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday alleged that an “anti-Indian and feudalistic force” was behind the ongoing farmers’ agitation against the new agricultural laws.
"There is a force in the country which is basically anti-India and feudalistic. The people associated with this force are also against ‘Indianness’ and the country’s self-reliance,” PTI quoted Pradhan as saying.
Widows, Sisters, Mothers of Farmers Join Protest
Several family members, including widows, mothers and sisters, of Punjab farmers who killed themselves due to rising debt, joined the protesters at Tikri border on Wednesday.
At the protest site near the Delhi border, the women carried the pictures of their male family members who had ended their lives after being caught in the dept trap, PTI reported.
Around 700-800 women whose family members had ended their lives due to farm debt took part in the protest, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) vice president Harinder Kaur Bindu said.
Delhi HC Refuses to Entertain PIL Related to Farmers' Protest
The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL related to farmers' protests at various borders of Delhi. The court noted that the Supreme Court is already hearing a similar matter.
Won't Decide Validity of Laws as of Now: SC on Farm Laws
A Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, on Thursday, said while hearing pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the three farms laws that it will not decide the validity of the laws as of now.
“The first and the only thing we will decide today is regarding the farmers' protest and the fundamental right of citizens to move. The question of the validity of laws can wait,” the Supreme Court said, according to ANI.
Recognise Fundamental Right to Protest, Won't Curtail It: SC
“We recognise the fundamental right to protest against the laws and there is no question of curtailing it. The only thing we can look into is that it should not cause damage to someone's life,” the CJI said on Thursday, during the hearing.
“Farmers have right to protest. We won't interfere with it but the manner of protest is something we will look into. We will ask Centre what is the manner of protest going on and to slightly alter it, so that it doesn't affect the citizens' right of movement,” he further said.
He also stated that a protest is constitutional till it does not destroy property or endanger life. “A protest has a goal and that purpose cannot be achieved by sitting in protest. Centre and farmers have to talk. But if protest has a purpose other than protest then we will facilitate it,” he said.
CJI Suggests Members for Independent Committee
The SC said that they are thinking of an impartial and independent committee before whom both parties can give its side of story. The committee will give a finding which should be followed and in the meantime, the protest can go on, the court observed.
The independent committee can have P Sainath, Bhartiya Kisan Union and others as members, the CJI suggested on Thursday.
Sitting in Protest Won't Help, Need to Hold Talks: CJI
The CJI on Thursday said that blocking Delhi may lead to people in the city going hungry.
“Your purpose can be fulfilled by talking. Just sitting in protest won't help,” he said, talking about farmers camped at the protest site.
Can Union Give Commitment to Not Implement Laws While Court is Hearing Matter, Asks CJI
The CJI on Thursday asked the Attorney General if the Union can give an commitment that the laws will not be implemented while the court is hearing the matter.
The AG replied that he will get back after taking instructions from the Central Government, LiveLaw reports.
No Order Passed by SC Bench Today
The bench did not pass any order today in the PILs against the farmers protests as there was no representation for seven out of the eight farmers unions which were added as respondents in the case, according to LiveLaw.
In this backdrop, the bench refrained from passing any substantive directions.
The Court only directed the service of notice on the remaining unions by tomorrow so that the matter may be listed before another bench on Saturday, LiveLaw reported. The bench also granted liberty for the vacation bench to be moved.
‘What Was the Hurry?’: Kejriwal Tears Farm Laws Copies in Assembly
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday tore up copies of the three farm laws that have been at the centre of the protests by farmers for more than 20 days.
Addressing a special session of the Delhi Assembly, called to discuss the agitation, Kejriwal said, "What was the hurry to get farm laws passed in Parliament during the pandemic? It has happened for the first time that three laws were passed without voting in the Rajya Sabha... I hereby tear the three farm laws in this Assembly and appeal to the Centre not to become worse than Britishers."
Read the full story here.
'Govt Wants Amendments, We Want Them to Take Farm Laws Back'
BKU's Rakesh Tikait said on Thursday that while the government has agreed to amendments in the farm laws, they want them to take them back. "We'll discuss the future course of action in our panchayat. We have not blocked roads, barricades have been put up by the police. SC is right that the issue should be resolved soon. We'll go if we're called," he was quoted by ANI as saying.
Meanwhile, KV Biju, National Coordinator of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, said, "In our committee today, we took a decision about the case in the Supreme Court. We'll consult with four senior lawyers – Prashant Bhushan, Dushyant Dave, HS Phoolka and Colin Gonsalves."