The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government and Delhi Police on pleas seeking removal of protesters from Shaheen Bagh. The protests at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have been going on for almost two months now.
The matter was heard by a two-judge bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice KM Joseph.
The court, according to PTI, said protesters cannot block public road and create inconvenience for others. People are entitled to protest but they have to do so in an area designated for protest, the top court added.
Justice Kaul also observed that “there cannot be indefinite protests in a common area”, according to Livelaw. “If everybody starts protesting everywhere, what will happen.”
The court listed the matter for hearing on 17 February after saying that it will not pass any direction on Shaheen Bagh protest without hearing the other side, according to PTI.
Advocate Amit Sahni had filed an appeal in the apex court against the January 14 order of the high court directing the police to deal with the situation keeping in mind law and order. He had said that due to the protests since December 15 last year traffic flow on Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch has been badly affected.
Former Delhi MLA Nand Kishore Garg had also filed a plea in the top court seeking directions to the authorities to remove the protestors from Shaheen Bagh.
Earlier, Sahni had approached the high court seeking directions to the Delhi Police to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch which has been blocked since December 15 last year due to protest at Shaheen Bagh.
(With PTI inputs)