AGENCIES / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court today said, it will not go into the issue of whether to allow entry of protesting farmers to Delhi for the proposed tractor rally on Republic Day.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde said, it cannot act as the first authority to make a decision on the issue as Delhi Police has the power to take a decision on the farmers’ entry.
The bench, which also comprised Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Vineet Saran, stated that it will not hear the case today as the Bench which previously heard the matter, comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, was not available today. The case will now be heard on 20th of January.
Supreme Court said it was for the Delhi Police to take a call if farmers’ should be allowed to enter the national capital with their tractor rally.
“Our intervention has been strongly misunderstood…Who will come in the city and who will be allowed will not be seen by us,” a Bench headed by CJI SA Bobde told the Centre while hearing a plea filed by the Delhi Police to stop farmers’ proposed tractor rally on January 26.
“You are at liberty to invoke all powers under the law,” the CJI told the Attorney General KK Venugopal.
CJI Bobde said the matter will be taken up when he sits in a Bench with Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian.
The top court adjourned the matter to Wednesday even as Solicitor-General said there were issues to be addressed.
Top court said it’s for the Delhi Police to decide whether to allow farmers to enter Delhi and if allowed to enter the national capital, how many, and on what conditions.
The Delhi Police are the first authority to decide it and not the Supreme Court, clarified the CJI.
A farmers’ group cites request to the Delhi Police to allow entry into Delhi on January 26.
Beside Mann, the other three members of the committee were Pramod Kumar Joshi (Director, South Asia international Food Policy), Agricultural Economist Ashok Gulati and Shetkari Sanghatana leader Anil Ghanwat.
They were mandated to talk to the agitating farmers on the Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance & Farm Services Act 2020, Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Act & Amendment to Essential Commodities Act and file a report before the court in two months. The committee is said to have decided to go ahead with its proceedings even after recusal of Mann.
Bhartiya Kisan Union Lokshakti had earlier written to the Delhi Police commisioner seeking permission to hold the farmers protests at Ramlila Maidan in the capital. CJI SA Bobde had on January 12 asked farmers’ unions to write to Delhi Police for such permission.
