New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday remarked that farmers protesting against controversial agricultural laws on Delhi’s borders have the right to agitate, but they cannot block roads indefinitely.
As reported by news agency PTI, a bench headed by Justice SK Kaul was hearing a PIL filed by Noida resident Monika Agarwal, who had complained of delay in daily commute due to road jams due to protests by farmers.
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The top court said that it is not against the right to protest even if the legal challenge is pending, but eventually some solution has to be found.
“Farmers have the right to protest but they cannot keep the roads blocked indefinitely. You may have the right to agitate in any way but the roads should not be blocked like this. People have the right to take to the streets, but it cannot be blocked,” a bench of Justice MM Sundaresh was quoted as saying by PTI.
In its report, the Bar and Bench referred to senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who is representing some farmers’ unions, as arguing that the roads were being blocked by the police and not by the farmers.
“They are blocked by the police. After stopping us, BJP held a rally at Ramlila Maidan. Why be selective,” he demanded, as quoted in the report.
Responding to the bench’s question, the senior advocate reiterated: “The way the Delhi Police has arranged, the roads have been blocked. It is fitting for them to realize that farmers are blocking the road. Let us come to Ramlila Maidan.”
The Supreme Court has asked the farmers’ unions, who have been made parties in the case, to respond in this matter within three weeks and fixed the next hearing of the matter on December 7.
Farmers are camping at the borders of the national capital to demand the withdrawal of three agricultural laws.
A few weeks ago, another bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar objected to the farmers’ protest, saying that since the agricultural laws have been legally challenged before the apex court, the farmers’ unions should not oppose it.
Since November last year, farmers mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been demanding Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Farmer Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Price Assurance and Agricultural Services Act. , 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 to be withdrawn and a new law be enacted to guarantee minimum support prices for crops.
He fears that three controversial agriculture laws will scrap the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of large corporations, concerns dismissed by the central government.
Several rounds of talks between farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock.
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