Chief Justice of India SA Bobde on Tuesday observed that if members of the committee express their viewpoints on the matter before their selection, it should not become ground for their disqualification from the panel. The CJI said this amidst the controversy over the members of the Supreme Court's elected panel on farm laws to negotiate between the Centre and the farmers.
The CJI also said that an individual before being a part of the committee may have an opinion which can change later.
With mentioning names, CJI Bobde said, “If a person on a panel has expressed views on the matter, it should not become ground for disqualification from a committee.”
Bobde’s statement appeared days after a farmers’ union moved the apex court demanding it to reconstitute the panel.
Last week, the Supreme Court had ordered a committee of four experts to find a solution to break the deadlock between the Centre and farmers' unions over the three laws which despite nine round of meeting has remained inconclusive.
However, the All India Kisan Coordination Committee president, Bhupinder Singh Mann, recused himself from the panel citing the “interests of farmers”, while the remaining three members Ashok Gulati, Pramod Kumar Joshi and Anil Ghanwat have openly backed the farm laws.
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The farmers’ organisation have asked how will these three members hear what the farmers have to say on equal parameters when they had already supported the laws, “made and passed by the Central government without enough discussion with farmers”.
Requesting the Supreme Court to reconstitute the panel, the farmers’ unions have asked for a panel that is “neutral and impartial personality not associated to any political party” and requested the appointment of a former judge of the apex court and representatives of protesting farmer unions to the panel.