You've Blocked Roads, Not Farmers: SC Tells Centre On Petitions Seeking Protesters' Removal

The Supreme Court remarked that it is the central government which has blocked the roads to prevent farmers from entering the city and not the farmers who have blocked the roads.

What SC said about farmers protest

The bench said that the petitions though ill-conceived raise the issue of freedom of movement but it is not the fault of the protesting farmers, while it was hearing petitions seeking removal of farmers protesting at the Delhi -NCR borders against the recently passed Farm Acts.

TOI

The bench that comprised Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said that the farmers protests in and around Delhi could soon snowball into a national issue and the top court is, therefore, mooting formation of a committee to hold talks and settle the matter amicably.

The SC also observed that the talks between central government and farmers representatives was not yielding the desired results.

Conversation between SC, Centre

The CJI said, "The only party who has blocked the road is you", while the Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta maintained that it wasn't him who had blocked the road, saying, "I have not blocked the road".

SG Mehta further said, "The farmers are protesting and roads have been blocked by Delhi Police", indicating that the blockade is only a measure by the cops to keep the situation under control. To which the CJI replied, "So, the only party who is actually on ground is you".

CJI: Mr. SG, we see that the petitions are ill-conceived and there are no legal issues before us. The only party before us who has blocked the road is you.

SG: I have not blocked the road.

¡ª Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) December 16, 2020

CJI: No, no, no. Who has blocked the road ?

SG: The farmers are protesting and roads have been blocked by Delhi Police.

CJI: So, the only party who is actually on ground is you. #FarmersProtests #SupremeCourt #FarmLaws2020

¡ª Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) December 16, 2020

The tweet of the hearing by Live Law has ever since garnered hundreds of likes and been retweeted by scores of people.

What happened in the hearing

During the hearing, the central government told the top court that the talks with the protesting farmers have not bore fruition because the approach of the protesters is "repeal or don't repeal."

"Their approach is either repeal the Farm Acts or don't repeal. Its either yes or no. Minister of agriculture, Minster of Home has discussed with them and they have turned their backs on us," he said.

BCCL

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta was responding to a query by the court about who were the leaders of the agitation.

Mehta underscored that the centre will not do anything which adversely affects the farmers.

"What's the point of saying so when it is adversely affecting them," the CJI asked.

"It only a yes or no for them," Mehta replied.

"Your negotiation will again fail as they won't agree. Give us names of organizations who can be before us," CJI Bobde said.

TOI

The top court then proceeded to issue notice to Central, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab governments in the petition and also gave liberty to the petitioners to implead the organisations and unions representing the protesting farmers.

The case will be heard again on Thursday.