On 20th February (Tuesday), the Punjab and Haryana High Court rapped the agitating farmers stating that they cannot use tractors and trolleys on highways, as per the Motor Vehicles Act. Stating that everyone knows their fundamental rights, the High Court also reminded the protesting farmers to follow “constitutional duties”.
Notably, a divisional bench of Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji has been hearing the plea that has challenged the alleged obstructive actions of the government and another plea seeking immediate action against the protest.
ACJ GS Sandhawalia asked the Punjab Government to ensure that the protesting farmers don’t gather in large numbers. The judge reiterated that the protesting farmers have the Right to protest but it is subjected to reasonable restrictions.
During the hearing, ACJ Sandhawalia also objected to farmers travelling in tractors and trolleys for protest and said, “According to the Motor Vehicles Act, you cannot use tractors and trolleys on the highway. You are travelling from Amritsar to Delhi on trolleys. Everyone knows their fundamental rights, but there are also some constitutional duties that need to be followed.”
The ACJ further added that if it is required then the tractor and trolleys can be carried on trucks.
Additionally, during the court hearing, the Union government updated the High Court on meetings held with the protesting farmers regarding their demands. Subsequently, the High Court directed the Union government to submit a fresh affidavit detailing discussions from these meetings. Consequently, the High Court adjourned the hearing to next week.
Meanwhile, the Farmer Unions have announced that they would resume their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march and launch a protest demanding MSP law from the Union government on 21st February. The development came after the farmers’ unions rejected the Union government’s five-year plan to procure pulses, maize, and cotton crops at MSP to boost crop diversification.
As reported earlier, a large number of farmers marched towards the national capital on 13th February. The police have deployed concrete slabs, iron nails, barricades, barbed wires, and police and paramilitary personnel at Kurukshetra in Haryana because of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march by the farmers. The protestors are seeking legal guarantees for MSP among other demands.
In addition to drafting a law on MSP, the protesting farmers have been demanding that India should quit the World Trade Organisation (WTO), halt trade agreements with other nations, and a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to farmers who attain the age of 60 years among others. The protest has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.
So far there have been four rounds of talks between the representatives of the agitating farmers’ Unions and three Union Ministers on 8th,12th,15th, and 18th February.
According to an Industry body’s estimate, the ongoing farmers’ protest in Delhi-NCR will cost more than Rs 500 crore every day and will negatively impact the quarter-four Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) numbers of Northern states.
