'How Can Highways Be Blocked Perpetually? Redressal Can Be Through Judicial Forum Or Parliamentary Debates' : Supreme Court On Farmers Protests

The Supreme Court on Thursday made certain oral remarks disapproving the road blockade in Delhi-NCR region as part of the protests carried out by the farmers against the three controversial farm laws passed last year.

While hearing a PIL filed by a Noida-resident Monicca Agarwal complaining of delays in daily commute caused due to the road-blockade, a bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul remarked that the highways cannot be blocked perpetually. The issues should be rather resolved through judicial forum or parliamanetary debates, the judge suggested.

"Redressal can be through judicial forum agitation or parliamentary debates but how can highways be blocked and this cannot be a perpetual problem", Justice Kaul remarked.

Justice Kaul told the Union of India, Haryana, UP and Delhi Governments that the Supreme Court has already laid down the law and it was the duty of the executive to implement the same. It may be noted that a bench led by Justice Kaul had delivered a judgment last year in the case relating to Shaheen Bagh protests holding that public roads can't be obstructed in the name of protests and that protests should be held only at the designated places.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta informed the bench that a High-Level Committee was constituted to hold talks but the protesting organizations refused to participate. He requested the bench to implead the protesting organizations as respondents in the matter. The bench directed the Solicitor General to file an application to that effect. The case has been adjourned to next Monday for further hearing.

The State of Haryana has filed an affidavit stating that it is taking "sincere efforts" to persuade the protesters to end the blockades.

Earlier, the bench had observed that the the Union and the Governments of Haryana, Delhi and UP had to find a solution to the road blockade.

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