The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea to enforce the controversial new agriculture laws.
The plea wanted a ban on protests and processions against the laws. It sought the framing of rules and guidelines to bar agitations in this regard. It even asked for a blanket bar on the dissemination of “propaganda” on social media against the parliamentary legislation.
The petitioner said the laws were enacted to serve the farmers' needs through an agrarian crisis.
“You cannot ask for a general direction to implement the Act... You have to bring forth specific cases,” Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, heading a three-judge Bench, addressed lawyers representing petitioner, Hindu Dharma Parishad.
On October 12, the court had sought the government’s response on several other petitions challenging the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Agriculture and Promotion) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act of 2020. These petitions had translated the enactment of the new laws as a means to usher in an “anti-farmer exploitative regime”.
On Tuesday, the Bench issued notice on a petition by D.K. Dhakkad, Madhya Pradesh State president of Bharatiya Kisan Party against the laws.
Senior advocate Vivek Tankha, for Mr. Dhakkad, said the central legislation was in conflict with the Madhya Pradesh State laws.
