Supreme Court appeals to protesting farmers to join panel, restart agitation if laws upheld

NEW DELHI: NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday urged farmers protesting the Farm Laws in Delhi to join the court mandated panel to peacefully resolve the dispute and said that they could go back to protesting if and when the court upholds the laws.

"Change your attitude, join the panel. We want a peaceful resolution of the dispute," observed CJI S.A. Bobde while hearing a plea to find a replacement for Bhupinder Singh Mann - who stepped down from his position on the committee convened to study the Farm Bills.

"In a democracy, other than repeal of the laws, there is the option of the issue being decided by the courts - which have already stayed the laws," said the CJI, addressing advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing as the representative for eight farmers' unions who have expressed the intent to boycott the panel. "You can always restart the agitation when we uphold the laws," added CJI Bobde.


The CJI was responding to Bhushan's statement that the farmers feared democratic pressure on the government would go away if they abandoned their protests. Bhushan also expressed the fear that if they relented the court may eventually uphold the laws.

CJI Bobde then urged the farmers to restart their agitation later and for now co-operate with the committee and work out a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

Mann had recused himself from the panel after criticism that he had already spoken in favour of the laws. This has reduced the panel strength to three - agricultural experts Ashok Gulati, Pramod Kumar Joshi and Shetkari Sangathan's Anil Ghanwant.

The bench issued notice on a plea to fill the vacancy caused by Mann's recusal but lashed out at criticism that they were all in favour of the Farm Laws. "The court appoints someone and their reputation is immediately trashed," said CJI Bobde.

"Aspersions are cast on the court that it has some interest in appointing them," he observed. "These are some of the brightest minds in agriculture. They have not been conferred with adjudicating powers. They have been asked to listen to all stakeholders and make a report to the court."

"Does holding a particular opinion disqualify him from being part of a committee? Don't people change their minds after they are better informed?," asked the CJI, while adjourning the case for a later date.