The Supreme Court on Thursday observed that farmers have the right to protest but roads cannot be blocked indefinitely. It asked farmer unions to file their response on petition seeking removal of protesting farmers from roads and posted the matter for hearing on December 7.
A bench of Justices SK Kaul and CT Ravikumar asked the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmers union, whether they have a right to block the road.
Responding to this, SKM said that the road management can done be better by the police and if they are unable to manage then farmers should be allowed to protest at Delhi’s Ram Lila Ground or Jantar Mantar.
During the hearing, SG Tushar Mehta cited Republic Day violence and said the incident took place despite the farmers unions giving an undertaking that there will be no violence during tractor rally on January 26.
The Supreme Court has asked SKM and other farmer unions to file their response in four weeks to the petition seeking removal of protesting farmers from roads.
“Farmers have right to protest but they cannot keep roads blocked indefinitely. You may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked like this. People have right to go on roads but it cannot be blocked.” the bench also comprising Justice M M Sundresh said.
The apex court was hearing a PIL filed by a Noida-resident Monicca Agarwal complaining of delays in daily commute caused due to the road blockade owing to the ongoing farmers’ protests.
Farmers have been camping at Delhi borders to demand that the three agri laws be rolled back.
