Amid a deadlock in the government’s negotiations with the protesting farmer unions, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on petitions challenging the validity of the three farm laws enacted last September.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three controversial farm laws, known to be with glaring loopholes, calling its order “extraordinary” and a “victory for fair play”. The stay on their implementation means the Centre cannot, for the time being, proceed with any executive actions to enforce the laws.

The top court told the centre that it has the power to suspend the farm laws at the core of massive farmer protests near Delhi and form a committee to solve the crisis. “These are matters of life and death. We are concerned with laws. We are concerned with lives and property of people affected by the agitation. We are trying to solve the problem in the best way. One of the powers we have is to suspend the legislation,” Chief Justice SA Bobde said.

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The top court also issued notice to farmers’ unions on a Delhi Police plea to stop a tractor rally during the January 26 Republic Day parade. The judges rebuffed the lawyer for protesting farmers, ML Sharma, as he said that the farmers would not participate in the committee as Prime Minister had refused to talk to them.

Earlier the top court demanded the repeal of the three new farm laws, saying that it was “extremely disappointed” with the negotiation process, and also expressed its inclination to stay the implementation of the acts. It asked the central government whether it would pause the three controversial laws at the core of massive farmer-protests near Delhi, and suggested a committee for negotiations.

Meanwhile, the farmers, thousands of whom have camped out around Delhi since late November  made this clear, as they did back then and in December, when they said “now is not the time for a committee”.

Farmers’ groups have said that they would not accept the committee set-up by the court or hold discussions with them. The committee, they said, included members who are in favour of the farm laws. “We do not accept this committee, all the members in this committee have been pro-government and these members have been justifying the laws,” said Punjab farmers’ unions.

The list includes Bhupinder Singh Mann, the national president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Coordination Committee; Dr Parmod Kumar Joshi, an agricultural economist who is also the Director for South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute; Ashok Gulati, agricultural economist and former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices; Anil Ghanwat, the chief of Shetkari Sanghathana, who in articles written in the media have expressed views in favour of the farm laws.