The Supreme Court on February 17, 2020, appointed Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde as head of an outreach team that will talk to protesters at Shaheen Bagh and arrive at a common consensus that preserves both the right to protest and the local movement.
The team will comprise of Senior Advocate Sadhna Ramachandran and former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah as well.
Hegde was caught completely off- guard when the Bench comprising Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph, sought to know if he was interested in speaking to the protesters for a possible resolution.
“I have not been to the protest site and I don’t represent anyone. But if the courts ask me, I will certainly go,” he added.
In a statement issued to the press after his appointment, Hegde said, “My colleague Sadhana Ramachandran and I accept the responsibility placed upon us by the Supreme Court. We will be meeting all parties with a view to assisting them to resolve their issues in a manner that respects and safeguards both the right to protest and the requirements of orderly civic life.
We hope that our assistance leads to these matters being resolved in good faith and to the satisfaction of all parties.”
Author: Shubham Jindal
