NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a PIL for the immediate removal of protesters and farmers blocking highways by issuing a direction to the central, Punjab and Haryana governments.
SC Dismisses Plea to Clear Farmers’ Protest from Highways, Cites Pending Cases
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Manmohan said the matter was already pending before this court, and repetitive petitions on the same issue cannot be entertained.
"This court has already taken some initiatives. Despite this, you file the petition, the impression is someone is here to play to the gallery and filed the petition for the publicity," the bench said.
Supreme Court Warns Activist on Repetitive PILs Over Farmers’ Highway Blockade
Advocate for petitioner social activist Gourav Luthra said his plea was with concerned with the plight of commuters, the agitation continued even after the court has taken steps to redress grievances of the farmers.
"We are aware of everything. It is not that the petitioner alone is the conscience keeper of the society and the rest are not aware. Don't file repeated petitions, if you want to assist in pending PIL, you are the most welcome," the bench told the counsel.
The PIL by Luthra sought directions to the Punjab, Haryana and central government to remove restrictions on farmers’ protest, and also ensure that all the National Highways and railway tracks are not blocked by the agitating farmers.
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It sought direction to Punjab, Haryana and the Centre to open at least the barricades at Shambu Border within a week so as to relieve the general public of inconvenience.
"The States should, however, take effective steps to maintain the law and order situation against the protestors if they exceed the limit set down by the State. All the Kisan Unions should be directed to maintain the law and order. State of Punjab shall ensure that the demonstrators gathered in their territories are duly controlled," the plea said.
The plea said that the alleged farmers and their unions have blocked National Highway at the entry point of Punjab i.e. Shambu for more than one year and recently have blocked National and State Highways in the entire State of Punjab at various locations on October 24, 2024.
"The blockage of State and NHs is a threat to national security as well, as the entire Army movement towards the Northern borders of the country passes through State of Punjab and the National Highways are blocked at various places in the State of Punjab. Now general public as well as army has to pass through Punjab taking alternative routes through narrow village roads to reach their respective destinations which is a major threat to national security," the plea said.
It also said the people are unable to reach hospitals on time in case of medical emergency, as even ambulances are being stopped from running on National and State Highways in the entire State of Punjab.
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The supply of essential goods such as petrol, diesel, LPG gas, milk, vegetables, medicines etc are being stopped by these alleged encroachers at entire stretch of National and State Highways of State of Punjab, it said.
Farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after they were stopped by security forces.
On September 2, in a different matter, the Supreme Court had set up a high-powered panel headed by Justice Nawab Singh, a former Punjab and Haryana High Court's judge, to conduct negotiations with the farmers, holding a sit-in at Shambhu border since February 13 over their various demands including legal guarantee for minimum support price for their produce.
Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers demanded implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.
On December 2, 2024, the Supreme Court had said in a democratic setup, one can engage in peaceful protests but without causing inconvenience to people. It had then asked Punjab's farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, to persuade the protesting farmers to refrain from obstructing highways and causing inconvenience to people.
