NEW DELHI, Oct 1: The Supreme Court on Friday slammed a farmer’s group which sought its permission for holding protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The court questioned the point in approaching the court if it planned to continue their protests by blocking roads and highways.
“You have strangulated the city and now you want to come inside the city…You are obstructing security and defense personnel. This was in the media. All this should stop. There is no point in protest once you come to the court challenging the laws,” Justice A M Khanwilkar, who is heading a two-judge bench, told the counsel appearing for petitioner Kisan Mahapanchayat.
The court asked those agitating to have faith in the system.
“What is the point of doing satyagraha? You have approached the court. Have trust in court. Once you have approached the court, what is the point of protest? Are you protesting against the judicial system? Have faith in the system,” he remarked.
The Mahapanchayat had sought permission to hold a satyagraha at the Jantar Mantar.
Advocate Ajay Choudhary, appearing for the petitioner outfit, said blocking the roads and highways was not part of the protest and the protesters were not blocking the roads and highways. On the contrary it was the police and not the farmers who were blocking the highways by erecting barricades.
Following this submission, the bench, which also comprises Justice C T Ravikumar, asked the counsel to file an affidavit affirming that it is not part of the road blockade and said it would consider taking up the matter again after the affidavit was filed.
On Thursday, the apex court had taken a very grim view 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.
(Manas Dasgupta)
