Justice Abhay S. Oka of the Supreme Court, on Saturday, said that the views of Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade and Gopal Krishna Gokhale on economy and education and Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s vision of free press and freedom of expression find relevance in contemporary India.
As SC Collegium Recommends New CJs for 13 HCs, Transparency Takes a Hit thewire.in - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thewire.in Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“The committee’s finding will have to be followed. Meanwhile, the protest will continue in a non-violent fashion and cannot endanger life or property. You cannot instigate violence too by police,” the bench said in oral observations. Although the court did not pass any specific order, it said experts such as journalist P Sainath and agricultural unions like the Bharatiya Kisan Union (one of the factions is a petitioner) could be members of the committee.
Solicitor General Mehta submitted to the court that other farmer unions were not present in court and may not share the views of the BKU.
What was the Emergency?
On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court had declared the election of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as null and void. Following the court decision, Gandhi moved the Supreme Court and a vacation bench of justice Krishna Iyer stayed the high court’s decision allowing Gandhi to remain as PM while limiting her right to vote in the parliament till the appeal was decided. Following an opposition rally for the resignation of Indira Gandhi, she made a decision to impose a national Emergency which would give the central government sweeping powers.
On June 25, 1975 then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed relying on Article 352 of the Constitution declared a national Emergency in the country. The notification of the proclamation of Emergency was published in the official gazette on June 26, 1975 when it took effect.
Stating that there were consultations before the legislation of the three farm laws, Prasad said, “I can safely say there has been almost a bipartisan consensus for the last close to 20 years about basically three things: liberalise the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act; open the trade for farmers; give choice to the farmers and bring in private investment.”
He also referred to statements made in 2011 by then Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on amending the APMC Act.
“I can tell you that the Planning Commission recommended in 2011 itself that there is a need to amend the APMC Act. As chairman of the Commission, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was also behind the reforms,” he said.