New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde has asked the protesting elderly farmers, women and children to go back home. The Supreme Court expressed serious concern Monday over protestors sitting in severe cold and COVID-19 pandemic situation prevalent in the national capital.
“Let me take a risk and say Chief Justice of India wants them (protesting farmers) to go back to their homes. Try to persuade them,” the CJI, who headed a three-judge bench said Monday.
“People are committing suicide. People are calling names. People are suffering in cold and pandemic situations. If not cold, farmers are in danger of COVID,” the bench, also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, told lawyers appearing for the farmers union and asked them to persuade the protestors to go home.
The CJI also said “People are suffering from a cold. Who is taking care of water and food? Old people and women are on the ground. Why are old people in the farmers’ protests? We don’t want to comment on the merit of the agitation.”
The top court said that it had already held that the protest of farmers is perfectly valid. There should not be any impression that it is trying to stifle the protest.
The bench will be passing an order on Tuesday on a batch of pleas challenging the new farm laws. “If we stay the law there will be no need for farmers to be at the protest site,” Bobde said.
During the hearing, the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that it is not possible to understand whether Centre is part of a problem or solution? Mehta said that government is part of the solution. He pointed out many organisations have come to it stating that the laws are progressive. The bench shot back and said that there is not a single pleading before the court which says laws are good.
