The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a clutch of petitions demanding judicial investigations into the violence during the tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day. The apex court also referred to a statementreportedly given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the all-party meeting that “the law will take its own course” and allowed the petitioners to withdraw pleas.
The court also dismissed another petition seeking direction to the media not to declare farmers as ‘terrorists’ without any evidence, news agency ANI reported.
In their petition, advocates Vishal Thakre and Abhay Singh Yadav, both practising in Delhi, sought probe by the CBI, Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a judicial commission into the January 26 violence in Delhi. They also urged the top court to call for records of the Union and Delhi governments on action or steps taken by them over the violence and ask the inquiry commission to submit its report in a time-bound manner and take action on it.
The petitioners said, The permission was granted for a peaceful protest and a tractor rally on Republic Day, but the liberty given by the Central government and police was misused by some of the hijackers who were in the garb of farmers therefore, in the interest of justice, Police Office be directed to find the violators and punish them as per the law.
On Jan 26, breaking away from the designated route for the tractor rally, hundreds of protestors wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, felled barriers at the borders, clashed with police and entered the city from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole. The farmers are demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.
Till date, police registered 44 FIRs in connection with the violence during tractor march and arrested a total of 122 persons so far.
During the all-party meet held last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Governments offer to keep the implementation of the three farm laws on hold for 18 months is still on the table. And that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar is just a phone call away for taking forward talks with protesting farmer unions.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad flagged FIRs being filed against farm union leaders in connection with the Republic Day violence in Delhi.Leaders like CPMs Elamaram Kareem, too, raised the FIR issue. To which the Prime Minister reportedly said: The law will take its own course.