分类： bharat

The Supreme Court said on Monday that the farmers’ proposed tractor rally on Republic Day is a matter of law and order and has to be decided by the police. During the hearing on a plea seeking an order against the tractor rally planned by the farmers, the Supreme Court also told the Centre that it has all the authority to deal with the matter.

The Supreme Court was hearing a plea of the central government, filed though the Delhi Police, seeking an order against the protesting farmers’ tractor march or any other kind of protest “which seeks to disrupt the gathering and celebrations” of Republic Day on January 26.

“Police is the first authority to decide who should be allowed to enter Delhi. The question of who should be allowed to enter the city [Delhi] and how many people can be allowed to enter are matters to be decided by the police,” the Supreme Court said, adding, “We cannot interfere.”

Addressing the Centre, the court said, ” We are not going to tell you what you should do. We will take up this matter on Jan 20.” “Does the Union of India want the Supreme Court to tell it what powers you have under the police Act? Why do you need the court to tell you that you have power?”

“We have not taken charge of the matter the way you think we have. Apparently, the intervention of the court has been strongly mistaken by you [Centre]” the court said, adding, “It is for the police to decide on the plea for permission for demonstration in Ramlila maidan.”

Meanwhile, the farmers who have been protesting against the farm laws for close to two months are firm on holding the proposed tractor rally on Republic Day and continue their sit-in demonstration till the agriculture laws are repealed.Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said on Sunday that the farmers are prepared to protest till May 2024. “Our demand is that the three laws be taken back and the government provide a legal guarantee on the MSP,” Rakesh Tikait said.

During the 9th round of talks between farmers and the government over the farm laws, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait had said that the farmers will withdraw the tractor rally on Republic Day if the Supreme Court orders. However, the farmers are now firm on their stand to hold a tractor rally on Republic Day.

The Supreme Court will also hear pleas on the issue of farm bills and ongoing protests on Delhi’s borders for over 50 days.

Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border protest site, union leader Yogendra Yadav said, “We will carry out a tractor parade on the Outer Ring Road in Delhi on Republic Day. The parade will be very peaceful.”

“There will be no disruption of the Republic Day parade. The farmers will put up the national flag on their tractors,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers continue to organise mock tractor rallies in various parts of Punjab to encourage more and more people to join the proposed ‘Kisan Tractor March’ in large numbers.

ACP (Connaught Place) told media outlets on Sunday, “In view of Covid-19, we are trying to reduce the gathering to 25,000 as compared to 1.5 lakh people earlier. People must follow coronavirus guidelines. We have restricted children below 15 years and adults above 65 yrs to the program.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech, as well as the government’s latest letter inviting farmers to talk, may have moved the logjam a little. Thirty-six out of 40 farm union protesting against the new farm laws met on Friday to discuss the Centre’s fresh request for talks and a few of the farm leaders have indicated that they may decide to resume dialogue with the government. The final decision will be taken after a meeting of all 40 unions, under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the farmers on Friday through a virtual platform. During the address, PM Modi released an installment of PM Kisan scheme, transferring Rs 18,000 crore to the accounts of 9 crore farmer across the nation. The PM took the opportunity to clarify that the new farm laws do not mean the end of MSP or APMC mandis. “I want to tell the farmers that with the new laws, you can sell your produce anywhere you want, anywhere you get a better price. You want to sell at mandis, to buyers, you will be able to sell to anyone. When the farmers are getting such freedom, what is wrong in this reform? Some people are only interested in spreading lies that mandis and MSP system will be gone with these laws,” the PM said in his address.

In his address, PM Modi also targeted the Mamata Banerjee government in Bengal for not implementing the PM-Kisan scheme in the state, “All states of different political ideologies have given the PM-Kisan benefits to their farmers except for West Bengal where the government is not letting them have it over their political reasons. The farmers from Bengal have even written to the Centre asking for the benefits. Bengal government doesn’t even have to spend anything to give these benefits. It pains me to see the Opposition playing political games over the farmers.”

PM Modi’s remarks attracted sharp reactions from opposition parties. While Congress claimed that the government does not want to solve farmers’ problem and trying to “wear them down”, former ally Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Centre should stop defaming farmers and hold talks with them on ways to repeal its contentious agriculture laws. A sharp reaction also came from AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who claimed that the new farm laws will not benefit farmers in any way and do a lot of harm.

PM Modi’s speech may have irked the opposition leaders, but the farmers seem to be considering resumption f dialogue after it. The farm unions have indicated their interest in resuming talks with the government as proposed in a fresh letter by the Union agriculture ministry. The final decision on talks will be taken after a meeting of Samyukta Kisan Morcha a group of 40 farm unions on Saturday. Speaking to India Today TV, some of the farmers’ leaders said their demand to repeal the three farms laws will continue. General secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Daoba), Satnam Singh Sahani claimed that during their meetings with the central government, the government accepted that these new laws need some amendments. “When a new law needs more than 10 amendments, then it means it was not made in a proper manner after reasonable thought. This is why we need all three farm laws to be repealed,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmers continued to pour in from various parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarkhand, increasing their strength at the Ghazipur (Delhi-UP) border to over 12,000. A large number of protesters also blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway on Friday.

All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) on Friday said that a large number of farmers from UP and Uttarakhand are reaching the Ghazipur border. According to a statement issued by AIKSCC, the number of protesters at the Delhi-UP border has reached 12,000 and more farmers are expected to reach through the night. A similar situation was witnessed at Shahjahanpur on Rajasthan-Haryana border, as protester blocked traffic on both sides of the Delhi-Jaipur highway. According to AIKSCC, over 1,000 protesters from Maharashtra had joined the protests at Shahjahanpur.