Bar Council of India clarified that the council has not taken any decision to support "Bharat Bandh'' by farmers on 8th December 2020 as fake news is being circulated on some social media platforms on the issue.
BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra told PTI that a meeting was held on 06th December 2020 and the bar body has requested the Centre to make necessary amendments to be incorporated in the new legislations relating to farmers which reads as under:
- The adjudication into the grievances of the Farmers should be looked to by a Special Tribunal presided over by a serving Judicial officer (not below the rank of Additional District Judge).
- The farmers should be given liberty to engage the lawyers of their choice. There should be a time frame for decision by this forum.
- The Appeal against the order/decisions of such forums may be preferred before the High Courts.
However, Bar Council of Delhi and the Coordination Committee of all Bar Associations of Delhi extended support to the ‘Bharat Bandh’ on 8th December 2020.
In a statement issued jointly by the BCD and the Coordination Committee of all district courts Bar Association of Delhi, founded that the bill "unreasonable", "arbitrary" and "unjust", "anti-farmer", "anti-public" and anti-advocates and allegedly aimed to provide benefit to the big trading companies.
Meanwhile, supporting the farmers protest in the national capital, the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) said that "the legal fraternity fully supports the demand of the farmers and urges upon the Government of India to consider the genuine demands of the farmer community.
It was further said that “The legal fraternity is astonished as to how the Government without discussion with the farmers as well as the representatives of the Bar have gone ahead to enact the farmer bill.”
The co-ordination committee also cited the major loopholes in the bills which read as under:
- The exclusion of tomato, potato and onion from the Essential Commodities Act will make these essential items out of reach for the public
- The farmers will not get any guarantee for MSP
- They will not get justice with regard to any dispute raised on any issue as the jurisdiction of the civil court is barred.
- The adjudication rights have been given to the SDM and the ADM who directly work under the dictate of the ministers and MLAs.
According to the Press release, the co-ordination committee has called for a protest on 8th December 2020 against the Farmer Bill in all District Court complexes.
