Farmer Union Goes to Apex Court, wants "Arbitrary" on Farm Laws Scrapped

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court (Apex court) asking it to scrap three farm laws approved by the Parliament in September 2020. Thousands of farmers have over the past few weeks been protesting against these farm laws, demanding that the central government repeal them. 

The BKU's petition, filed by its president Bhanu Pratap Singh, claimed that the three farm laws will cause commercialization and can throw the farmers at the mercy of corporates. Citing the continued farmers’ protest along the national capital's borders, it said a "Rail Roko" agitation, too, would begin soon if it’s not repealed 

Calling the new farm laws "arbitrary", the petition alleges that they were passed without adequate discussion. 

SC has already issued notices to the Centre on a batch of petitions challenging the farm laws approved by Parliament in September 2020. These farm laws were first introduced in June as ordinances by the Central government. 

The 3 contentious farm laws are Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and last the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. 

Over the past, many weeks’ violent protests have broken out across states like Punjab, Haryana, & Uttar Pradesh, by farmers who view these farm laws as leading the way to their dis-empowerment, with their advantage moving to corporate bodies. 

Thousands of them have marched towards capital as a Dilli Chalo in protest since early last month, within the process blocking the main roads leading to and away from the capital.  Even several political parties have voiced their support to the protesting farmers and sought the three farm laws' repeal, though the central government has not budged till now.