New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday withdrew its plea seeking an injunction against the proposed tractor rally on January 26 by farmers protesting against the contentious farms laws after the Supreme Court said “it is a police matter”.
The police has the “authority” to deal with the issue pertaining to the proposed tractor march in Delhi on the Republic Day, said a bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian.
“We have told you that we will not issue any direction. It is a police matter. We will allow you to withdraw. You are the authority and you have to deal with it. You have the powers to pass orders, you do it. It is not for the court to pass orders..,” the bench said in the hearing conducted through a video link.
After the observation of the apex court, the Centre withdrew the plea filed through Delhi Police seeking an injunction against the proposed tractor or trolley march or any other kind of protest which seeks to disrupt the gathering and celebrations of the Republic Day.
The hearing in the matter is continuing.
Also read: SC Says Centre Is at Liberty to Invoke All Powers if it Wants to Stop Farmers’ Tractor Rally
The Supreme Court had, on Monday, told the Centre that the Delhi Police is the first authority to decide who should be allowed to enter the national capital.
“Does the Supreme Court say as to what are the powers of police are and how they will exercise them? We are not going to tell you what to do,” the bench said.
Farmers prepare for Jan 26 parade
Farmers’ unions protesting against the Centre’s agri laws had said that they will go ahead with their proposed tractor parade on Delhi’s Outer Righ Road and insisted that it will be peaceful and not involve any disruption of the Republic Day parade.
Farmers have begun holding smaller tractor rallies at villages in Punjab ahead of January 26. Rallies have been held in places like Nawanshahr and Gurdaspur. More are planned over the next two days.
“There is a great enthusiasm among people in Punjab to become part of the tractor parade,” Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan told PTI on Tuesday.
He claimed that five to 10 tractors are ready to leave for Delhi from almost all villages, and in some, over 50 have been prepared.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal said 20,000-25,000 tractors would come to Delhi from Punjab alone for the planned parade. Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said their batches will head for the capital on January 20 and January 22.
BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) vice president Harinder Kaur Bindu said women who are camping at the Delhi border and those who come later from Punjab will also take part in the parade.
“Several women will also drive tractors on January 26,” she said.
(With PTI inputs)