"After strangulating the city, you want to come inside & protest?": Supreme Court to Kisan Mahapanchayat seeking permission for 'Satyagraha'

Read Time: 06 minutes

The Supreme Court on Friday asked Kisan Mahapanchayat to file an affidavit declaring that the organisation is not a part of the protest being carried out on the highways.

The Court was hearing a plea seeking direction to allow conducting Satyagrah at Jantar Mantar as permitted to Sanyukt Kisan Morcha farmers.

A bench comprising Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice CT Ravikumar said, "On the one hand you have strangulated the whole city an now you want to come here inside."

The petition has been filed by Kisan Mahapanchayat through Advocate Ajay Choudhary stating that the authorities denying the Mahapanchayat from holding peaceful, unarmed and non-violent Satyagrah at the designated place Jantar Mantar in violation of the basic democratic rights enunciated as fundamental rights under the constitution of India.

However, the bench said, "You are also stopping security, you block trains, you block highways and you say that the protest is peaceful."

The plea states that the petitioner is also one of the farmers bodies who are holding peaceful and non-violent protests and hartal across the country rising their grievance against passage of the three aforesaid legislations which would have negative and harmful impact on the farming and agriculturist community, in particular."

The petitioners have further sought a place for at least accommodating 200 farmers/ protestors at the Jantar Mantar for organizing peaceful and non-violent Satyagrah.

Whereas, the bench contended, "why have you approached the Court, When you have approached have faith in our system why do you want to do Satyagrah." The Court was indicating to file a plea in the Court with regards to the three farm laws and let the Court decide over the issue.

However, Choudhary submitted that they want to persuade the Government in this regards and have full trust in the Judicial system.

The Court has posted the matter for further hearing on Monday.

The plea has been file with regards to the ongoing farmers protest against the enactment and implimentation of the three Farm Laws, 

i) The Farmers (Environment and Protect) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020,

ii) The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Prommotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and 

iii) The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Earlier, A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justices AS Bopanna & V. Ramasubramaniun were of the considered view that the staying of all the three farm laws for the present may assuage the hurt feelings of the farmers and encourage them to come to the negotiating table.

The bench had also formulated a Committee for purposes of effectuating a Consultative dialogue between the stakeholders involved, however, after several rounds of negotiations and meeting no solution has yet been found.

Case Title: Kisan Mahapanchayat and Anr. Vs. Union of India and Ors.