‘You have strangulated entire city’: SC on farmers’ plea to protest at Jantar Mantar
The farmers' body had moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the authorities to allow it to stage peaceful and non-violent 'Satyagraha' at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
FollowThe Supreme Court on Friday slammed the Kisan Mahapanchayat protesting against the three farm laws saying they have “strangulated the entire city (Delhi) and blocked highways”.
The farmers' body had moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the authorities to allow it to stage peaceful and non-violent 'Satyagraha' at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi.
A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar said, “You have strangulated the city and now you want to come inside the city and protest. This coaxing should stop.”
Justice Khanwilkar said, “You are obstructing the security personnel who were travelling. You blocked trains, you blocked highways. How can you be permitted?”
The lawyer representing the farmers' body said, “The highways have been blocked by the police. We have been detained by the police. We want a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar.”
The top court has asked the group to file an affidavit saying they are not a part of the protest that is "blocking the national highways".
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“If you are not part of the Kisan protest, file an affidavit declaring that you are not part of the protest that is blocking the national highways at the borders of the city,” the Supreme Court said.
In July, thousands of farmers, led by two other groups - Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) - held a massive protest at Jantar Mantar amid the monsoon session of parliament.
The top court had taken note of a grim reality of the continuing blockade of highways connecting the national capital to the neighbouring states by farmers protesting against the farm laws, saying that the roads cannot be blocked perpetually. “Redressal can be through judicial form, agitation, or parliamentary debates. But how can highways be blocked and this happen perpetually? Where does it end?”, Justice SK Kaul had asked.
The hearing on the petition has been adjourned to Monday.
