Farmers' tractor rally on R-Day: Deal with the issue, SC tells cops on farmers enteri
Farmers' tractor rally on R-Day: Deal with the issue, SC tells cops on farmers entering Delhi
M.U.H
18/01/2021952
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass an order to restrain protesting farmers and has asked the Delhi Police to deal with the situation.
The entry of the protesting farmers into the national capital on Republic Day has to be decided by the Delhi cops, the apex court said on Monday, as it heard a plea seeking an injunction against the proposed tractor rally scheduled on 26 January.
The SC said it's a matter of law and order and should be determined by the police. "We said this last time that entry to Delhi has to be seen under Delhi police. Who should not be allowed and the number of people who can enter are all matters of law and order and should be dealt by the police. We are not the first authority," the SC noted.
"You have all authority to deal with this matter. We are not going to tell you what you should do. We will take up this matter on 20 January," the top court added.
The government, in an application filed through the Delhi Police, had told the SC that any proposed rally or protest which seeks to disrupt and disturb the Republic Day celebrations will cause an "embarrassment to the nation".
The government has said that the right to protest can never include "maligning the nation globally".
The farmers who have been protesting against the three new farm laws for close to two months are firm on holding the proposed tractor rally on Republic Day at the Haryana-Delhi borders and continue their sit-in demonstration till the agriculture laws are repealed.
"We are prepared to sit in protest till May 2024... Our demand is that the three laws are taken back and the government provide a legal guarantee on the MSP," Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said while speaking to reporters in Nagpur.
During the ninth round of talks between the protesting farmers and the Centre over the contentious farm laws, Tikait had said that the farmers will withdraw the tractor march on Republic Day if the SC says so. However, the farmers are now firm on their stand to hold a tractor rally on R-Day.
So far, the Centre has held nine rounds of formal talks with 41 farmer unions but has failed to break the logjam as the latter have stuck to their main demand of a complete repeal of the three Acts.