'No improvement in situation at all': Supreme Court of India on farmer-govt. deadlock

Indian farmers' protests near the country's capital Delhi borders are set to intensify as the deadlock over new agricultural laws continues, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday expressed disappointment, saying "there's no improvement in situation at all."

Chief Justice SA Bobde, while hearing a petition challenging the laws, said the top court's "intention was to encourage talks" between the government and the protesting farmers, reports the NDTV. 

"There's no improvement in (the) situation at all. We understand the situation and we encourage talks," the Chief Justice said.

Two days after the seventh round of talks failed between the farmers' representatives and the centre, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court: "We are discussing with farmers. There are chances of some sort of understanding between the parties."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta further said: "A healthy discussion is going on now."

On Monday, Sarwan Singh Pandher of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, who attended the meet with Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, told reporters: "The Agriculture Minister clearly said during the meet that the laws will not be scrapped, he even told us to approach the Supreme Court." 

Protesting since late November near Delhi's borders, thousands of demonstrators have been demanding the laws be scrapped. They say the legislations will leave them at the mercy of corporates.

Last week, the government said the two sides were able to come to an understanding on two of the four demands of the farmers -- withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill and the penal provisions for stubble burning in the Air Quality Commission Ordinance.