Farmers' unions to seek legal advice

New Delhi: The farmers' agitation continued on the 23rd day on Friday and their unions were busy chalking out strategies to intensify the protest. As the issue is now in the Supreme Court, the farmer leaders are not only keeping an eye on the proceedings but are also seeking legal opinions. Although the apex court has not yet delivered any order asking the farmers to vacate the roads. The farmer leaders say that if they are served any notices from the court, they will take support from their lawyers.

Major Singh Punawal, general secretary of Punjab's All India Kisan Sabha, said, "When the farmers will receive a notice regarding their protest from the SC, we will take the legal opinion from the lawyers." Punawal said the protest by the farmers is going on in a peaceful manner and will continue till the government rolls back all the three farm laws.

Meanwhile, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said the issue of the farmers' protests against three new farm laws needs to be resolved by the government and not the Supreme Court. The AIKS asserted that no farmer organisation approached the court in the first place and asked for its intervention in the matter.

"The issue needs to be resolved by the Centre and not the Supreme Court. The court order has also said the same categorically. We have not approached the court because of this understanding that it is a struggle by the farmers against a government policy and the executive has to resolve the crisis," senior AIKS leader P Krishnaprasad said.

The farmers' agitation should be allowed to continue "without impediments" and the court will not "interfere" with it as the right to protest is a fundamental right, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while hearing a bunch of petitions against the ongoing stir at Delhi's borders.