When the matter came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Chief Justice K S Radhakrishnan and Justice Akil Kureshi, Thakar submitted that as he had received the copy of the government reply in the matter only on Sunday, he had little time to draft a reply and collect evidence to prove his locus standi.

The bench has asked Thakar his locus standi in challenging the land allotment to Tata Motors for their small car project. Thakar, who was president of the Rashtriya Kisan Dal (RKD) in 2006, put as many as 110 questions regarding problems of farmers to the state government and also published a 185-page book on the subject later.

He also submitted a copy of the book in Gujarati to the state government.

Thakar told the court that the chief justice of Gujarat High Court had ordered the state government to answer the questions and that the state government had also formed a committee under the then agriculture secretary to come out with a reply.