The Supreme Court on Tuesday put on hold the three contentious farm laws, against which the farmer have been staging protests at the Delhi border.
The top court said a committee would be formed to take over negotiations to end the crisis.
“We will stay implementation of the three farm laws,” the bench headed by Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde, said.
The bench said that the committee to be formed will have HS Mann of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Pramod Kumar Joshi, Ashok Gulati and Anil Dhanwat of Shetkari Sangathan.
“We are concerned about the validity of the laws and also about protecting the life and property of citizens affected by protests. We are trying to solve the problem in accordance with the powers we have. One of the powers we have is to suspend the legislation and make a committee,” CJI Bobde observed,
The three-judge bench had earlier said that it is willing to suspend the laws but not indefinitely without any activity going on both sides.
Pulling up the Centre for its handling of the farmers’ protest, the apex court on Monday said it is “extremely disappointed” with the way negotiations between them were going.
The apex court also issued a notice on the Delhi Police’s application filed seeking to stop the proposed tractor rally by protesting farmers on Republic Day.
Farmers may apply for permission to the Delhi Police Commissioner for protests at Ramlila Maidan or other locations, CJI added.
Protesting farmers have been camping out at Delhi borders since November, demanding a complete repeal of the new laws.