Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court issued a stern warning to the protesting farmers on Tuesday, stating that tractors and trolleys cannot be taken on the highway according to the Motor Vehicle Act. The court also directed the Punjab government to prevent large gatherings of people. Emphasizing the importance of constitutional duties alongside rights, the court reminded the farmers during the ongoing hearing of their movement.
The court acknowledged the farmers' right to protest but stressed the need for certain restrictions to be followed. Meanwhile, the Central Government informed the High Court that discussions had been held regarding the farmers' demands. In response, the court instructed the government to submit a new affidavit detailing the outcomes of these discussions. The hearing on this matter is scheduled for next week.
In a related development, farmer leaders rejected the Centre's proposal to purchase pulses, maize, and cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from government agencies for a period of 5 years. They argued that the proposal was not favorable to the farmers. During the fourth round of talks with farmer leaders, a committee of three Union ministers suggested that government agencies would buy pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP for 5 years after reaching an agreement with the farmers. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher urged the Centre to address other demands, including a legal guarantee on MSP for crops and the waiver of farm loans. He announced plans to travel to Delhi on Wednesday to press for these demands.
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