Farmers have right to protest, but roads can't be blocked indefinitely: SC
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Oct, 2021 10:48 AM
New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday reiterated that farmer groups have the right to protest, but they cannot keep roads blocked indefinitely. The top court has sought response from Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions, and other farmer unions on a petition filed by a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear for smooth traffic movement.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the farmers' group, submitted before a bench headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul that road blockade would end, if permission is granted to continue the protest either at Ramlila Maidan or Jantar Mantar.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, on his part, cited Republic Day violence and emphasized this happened despite farmer unions, had given an undertaking that there will be no violence during tractor rally scheduled on January 26. Dave claimed that January 26 violence was engineered, and added that the road management can be done better by the police.
The bench also comprising justice M.M. Sundresh told the farmers group counsel that they may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked like this. "People have right to go on roads, it cannot be blocked", noted the bench.
The bench asked SKM and other farmer unions to file their response in four weeks in the matter, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on December 7.
The top court was hearing a plea by a Noida-resident Monicca Agarwal complaining of delays in daily commute caused due to the road blockade by farmer groups.
Another bench headed by justice A.M. Khanwilkar, had questioned the rationale behind farmer groups continuing their protest, wherein national highways have been blocked, in the backdrop of stay on three contentious farm laws. The bench headed by justice Khanwilkar had said it will examine whether those protesting against farm laws have a right to do so even after challenging the contentious legislations in the top court.
Canadian MP Tim S. Uppal said he was shocked to learn about the brazen attack on protesting farmers. Another Canadian MP Ruby Sahota said she was heartbroken to learn about the violence directed at protesting farmers.
The demand made by citizens primarily mirrored their right to clean air and the right to breathe, underlining the reality that Punjab is home to some of India's most polluted towns, including Mandi Gobindgarh, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, and Patiala.
The case was assigned to the division bench of Justices A.G. Masih and Ashok Kumar Verma. Earlier, the case was being heard by the bench of Justices Rajan Gupta and Ajay Tewari but the latter recused himself from hearing the case on September 1.
Furnishing details about the incident, Additional DCP-2 Nishant Gupta told IANS that they had received information about a firing incident in the northeast Delhi area on October 1.
The activists of Punjab Congress will walk towards Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh if Priyanka Gandhi is not released and the Union Minister's son accused of murder not arrested, said state party President Navjot Sidhu on Tuesday.
Referring to police action against protesting farmers in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, the BJP leader said, "Congress leaders who are very keen to visit Lakhimpur Kheri have not uttered a single word against police lathicharge on farmers in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan."
