NEW DELHI: Four acquaintances lawyers – Dave dushyant, Prashant Bhushan, Colin Gonsalves and HS Phoolka – on Tuesday did a disappearing act before the Supreme Court less than 24 hours after promising to return with the response from farmers unions on his willingness to appear before the proposed committee on farm laws.
Bhushan, Gonsalves and Phoolka had told a bank headed by CJI SA Bobde on Monday that Dave was leading the quartet and that he would report back to the SC on the views of the farm unions that had hired him as a lawyer. Dave, who had initially informed the court that farmers would not hold a tractor rally on Republic Day, had made time until Tuesday to receive instructions from the farmers.
None of the four logged into the videoconference hearing in virtual court number 1 until the end of the nearly one-and-a-half hour procedure on Tuesday. It was then the CJI’s turn to vent its anguish over the lack of courtesy from four experienced lawyers who, it was considered, could at least appear in court, as promised, and inform it about the position of the unions. .
“Members of the bar association, who are first court officials and then their clients’ attorneys, are expected to show some loyalty (to the court). You will appear in court when it suits you, and you will not come if you do not. It is convenient. It cannot do that, “said the CJI.
The CJI recalled that on Monday Dave just said that his customers are not going to do tractor marches. “So we said why can’t farmers not appear before the committee when they have agreed to meet with government representatives. If you (farmers) want to solve the problem, you can do it by talking and negotiating. Otherwise, you can keep agitating for years.” , said.
Appearing as a Delhi citizen who wants roadblocks cleared due to protests and farmers assigned a designated spot, senior advocate Harish Salve said: “No one should use the judicial process to achieve political goals. laws and at the same time they would not participate in the committee’s proceedings. What the Supreme Court had said is that it will keep the implementation of the laws on hold to build trust and advance the process through the committee. ”
The bank led by the CJI said: “We want to solve the problem (which arises from the enactment of agricultural laws). We want to know the situation on the ground. That is why the committee is being created. It will talk to all interested parties and give us a report. Based on the report, we will proceed (to hear the petitions) and determine the validity of the report. ”
“The government has a great interest in saying that it will support the agricultural laws. Therefore, someone sensible should come before the committee and voice their complaints against the agricultural laws,” said the CJI.
.
