SC defers hearing on Centre`s plea against farmers` tractor march, says, `Police first authority to decide`

SC defers hearing to January 20 on Centre`s plea against farmers` tractor march, it observed that Delhi Police has the first authority to decide.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court while hearing the application filed by Delhi Police seeking a direction to put an injunction on the proposed tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi will hear the matter day after tomorrow.

The top court observed that the question of entry into Delhi is a law and order situation that is to be determined by Police. The Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde responded saying that the police will be “at liberty to invoke all powers under the law”. The CJI has adjourned the matter to January 20.

Last week, the apex court stayed the implementation of the three farm laws till further orders and constituted a four-member committee to make recommendations to resolve the impasse over them between the Centre and farmers' unions.

Though, Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann recused himself from the committee last week. While the other panelists include Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, agriculture economists Ashok Gulati and Pramod Kumar Joshi.

Meanwhile, the farmer unions who have been staging a protest at Delhi have remained firm on holding the tractor rally on January 26, Republic Day as scheduled and vowed to continue their stir till the three farm laws are revoked.

While addressing a joint press conference at the Singhu border on Saturday, union leaders said, "We will carry out a tractor parade on Republic Day. The parade will be very peaceful. There will be no disruption of the Republic Day parade. The farmers will put up the national flag on their tractors," they said.

It was stressed that the aim of this proposed protest march, which will cover a distance of 50 km, was not to disrupt the Republic Day parade.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at various borders of the national capital for over 50 days now demanding repeal of the three laws - the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act.