Farmers Protests -'There Are Chances Of Parties Coming To Some Sort of Understanding', AG KK Venugopal Tells Supreme Court

The remark came after the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde observed that there has been no improvement in the situation as far as the farmers protest is concerned. "There is no improvement in the situation." CJI said.

To this, the Attorney General of India informed the bench that "There are chances of the parties coming to some sort of an understanding."

The bench while understanding the seriousness of the matter informed the Attorney General that the court wants to encourage the talks between the government and the farmers' organizations.

"We understand the situation. We want to encourage the talks. We will keep the matter on Monday and will adjourn if you say so." CJI told Mr. KK Venugopal.

The hearing is scheduled to take place on Monday, 11th January 2021.

The Bench was hearing the petition filed by Advocate Manohar Lal Sharma challenging the three farm laws that have been enacted by the Parliament recently and have attracted intense opposition from several farmers' groups across the country.

The petition challenges the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Agriculture and Promotion) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Sharma, in his plea, has stated that "Famers will be compelled to sign / put thumb impression on paper by force and his land, cultivated crops and freedom will be forever under the hand of the corporate houses belong to various political leaders. In fact, it is a butchering of the farmers through these notifications a serious threat to the life, liberty and freedom of the farmers and its family. Therefore, impugned notifications are liable to be quashed".

In earlier proceedings in the matter, the Bench had showed its inclination of setting up an independent committee to mediate between the protesting farmers and the Government. The bench had also allowed the impleadment of 8 farmer organizations in the matter. However, the bench refrained from passing any directions to the impleadment as none of the representative of these organizations appeared before the bench.

In another development in the matter, a letter petition has also been filed by 35 students of the Punjab University seeking a detailed inquiry in excessive use of force by the Police and illegal detentions of protesting farmers. It has also been alleged in the letter that the Government has been indulging in vindictive, atrocious and unconstitutional abuse of power to subvert the constitutional rights of farmers to peaceful protest.