Can’t be blocked forever: Supreme Court asks Center to take steps to clear roads blocked by farmers
The Supreme Court on Thursday asserted that roads cannot remain blocked forever and asked the Center what steps it has taken to remove road blockades by farmers protesting three agricultural laws along Delhi’s borders. A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul told the Centre’s counsel: “We have already made the law and you have to implement it. If we trespass, you can say that we have trespassed on your domain.” “
The bench further said, “How to enforce the law is your job. The court has no means to enforce it.”
The top court said there are complaints which need to be addressed and asked, “How can highways be blocked forever? Where does it end”. The bench stressed that the problem can be resolved through judicial forum or parliamentary debate, but highways cannot be blocked forever.
The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj: What was the government doing in the matter?
Mehta, on his part, said that a high-level committee was formed where farmers were invited, but they refused to participate. He said that representatives of some farmers have to be made parties in this matter, so that they can be made aware of the schemes of the government. However, the bench said that the Center will have to implicate him as a party, as the petitioner may not be aware of the leaders representing the farmers.
The top court was hearing a petition filed by Monika Agarwal, seeking a direction to remove road blockades obstructing free movement of traffic between Delhi and Noida.
The bench asked the counsel for the Center to place an application indicating the steps taken and how it would help in resolving the dispute in favor of certain parties. The top court has fixed October 4 for the next hearing of the matter.
The top court had on August 23 asked the Center to find a solution to the blockade of roads by farmers’ groups opposing three agricultural laws. Earlier, the top court had said that protesters have the right to protest at a designated place but cannot block public roads.
The petitioner had alleged that instead of the usual 20 minutes, he spent two hours traveling from Noida to Delhi.
Read also: Farmers protest: Unions are testing the patience of the government by direct confrontation?
.