Supreme Court stays implementation of Centre's farm laws, sets up 4-member panel

The Supreme Court has in a landmark interim order directed that the Centre's 3 farm laws be kept in abeyance till the deadlock between the Centre and protesting farmers is resolved. The Apex Court, however, clarified that the implementation of the farm laws was not being stayed indefinitely.

The bench of Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian also ordered the formation of a four-member committee to hold negotiations.
 

The Supreme Court had yesterday hinted that it may stay the implementation of the Farm Acts if the Centre did not do so.
 

"We are extremely disappointed with the way Centre is dealing with this. We are doing this because you have failed to solve the problem. The Union of India has to take responsibility. The laws have resulted in a strike and now you have to solve the strike," the bench had said yesterday.

Members of the Supreme Court-ordered committee include:
 

1) Bhupinder Singh Mann, President of Bharatiya Kisan Union
 

2) Dr Pramod Kumar Joshi, International Policy Head
 

3) Ashok Gulati, Agricultural Economist
 

4) Anil Dhanvat, Shivkeri Sangathan, Maharashtra

Farmers have been protesting since November 26 last year against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
 

The Centre had maintained that the laws need not be kept in abeyance as they were not beyond legislative competence or violative of any fundamental rights. Attorney General KK Venugopal also contended that pointed out the protests were limited to a certain region.

The Centre also made a massive claim before the Supreme Court that the farmers' protest has been infiltrated by the Khalistani groups and the protests are being funded by them too. 
 

Chief Justice of India SA Bobde has asked the Centre to put their concerns on an affidavit by Wednesday.