Suspend farm laws or we will do it: Supreme Court to Modi govt over farmers' protests

"Tell us whether you will put the laws on hold or else we will do it. What's the ego here?" said the top court.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde said, "Each one of us we will be responsible if anything goes wrong. We don't want any injuries or blood on our hands."

In a message to the protesters, the top court said the protests could go on after the implementation of the laws was stayed.

"But decide whether you want to carry on the protest on the same site or move to another," the court said.

Thousands of farmers are protesting at the Delhi-Haryana border over 40 days braving the cold with a sole demand of the repeal of the new farm laws that they feel would leave them at the mercy of the corporates. 

Already eight rounds of talks between the protesters and representatives of the government went inconclusive as the Centre was in no mood to repeal the laws.

The protesting farmers have clarified that they will not settle for anything less than repeal of the three new farm laws and legalising MSP.

One of the Centre's new farm laws will now allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market. 

Though the middlemen in the wholesale markets are often accused of usurping the farmers in the earlier agricultural system, the protesters, backed by several opposition parties, fear they will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited with the gradual destabilising of the mundies.