Delhi: Plea in Supreme Court to consider reasonable demands of farmers

New Delhi [India], February 23 : A plea was filed in the Supreme Court on Friday seeking direction to the government of India to consider the reasonable demands of the farmers who are in continuous peaceful protest and demonstration.
Agnostos Theos, Managing Director of the Sikh Chamber of Commerce, approached the Supreme Court seeking direction over farmers' protests.
The plea sought direction to the state and central government to stop all violence against the protestors and remove all barricades, fortifications, etc. at once.
The farmers are peacefully protesting for their demand for the implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan committee as per their call for the protest for 'Dilli Chalo' on February 13, 2024, it said.
"The Respondent, Union and State governments, in anticipation of the protest by the farmer, issued threats against the people participating in the protest, fortified the borders of the state around the city of Delhi, with iron spikes, concrete walls, etc. ensuring that farmers are not able to enter the territory of the national capital," the petition added.
The plea sought direction to the government to instruct relevant authorities to not cause hindrance to farmers' peaceful march and gatherings in the national capital.
Social media accounts should be unblocked and the right to free speech. should not be curbed, it stated, adding that FIRs should be registered against this act of the government.
"Instruct relevant authorities to take immediate action against those who are defaming farmers and Sikhs, and hurling abuses, using derogatory terms and issuing threats," the petition urged.
Thousands of farmers remain camped at Khanauri and Shambhu borders with their tractor-trolleys and trucks agitating for their demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver.