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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a petition filed by residents of Sonipat seeking opening of roads connecting Delhi and Haryana at the Singhu border here, which were blocked by farmers in protest against three agricultural laws. and asked the petitioners to approach the High Court.
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Hima Kohli said that the petitioners have the liberty to approach the High Court and the State Administration also seeks directions of the High Court to strike a balance between freedom to protest and is liable. To have access to basic amenities.
This allowed the petition to be withdrawn and gave them liberty to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The top court said the invitation to intervene is very tempting but there are high courts, which can deal with local issues.
Suppose, tomorrow there is a border dispute between Karnataka and Kerala or some other states. There will be no end to this. This Court will not be the first resort. There are High Courts to deal with local problems. We have a sound system, the bench said.
Initially, advocate Abhimanyu Bhandari, appearing for Jai Bhagwan and Jagbir Singh Chhikara, residents of Sonipat, said that the Singhu border is like a “nucleus” for the people of the city as it connects Delhi and Haryana, but because of the blockade. It is obstructing their right to movement.
He said that the petitioners are not against the peaceful protest of the farmers and they have nothing to do with the three agricultural laws which they are opposing.
The bench said, being a resident of Sonipat, why don’t you approach the High Court? Why is this petition filed here for publicity? When the High Court is well aware of the local situation and the problems of all of you, there is no need for us to intervene. We must trust our High Courts.
Bhandari said that a coordination bench of this court has recently passed an order regarding the UP Gate protest in which the apex court had asked the Center to find a solution to the problem, so that the common people are not inconvenienced. Blockade of interstate roads.
He said that at least one side of the highway should be allowed to open so that people can move in case of any emergency.
The petition, filed through advocate Ruhina Dua, said that the farmers at the Singhu border here are protesting three agricultural bills—Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Agricultural Services Act 2020 and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Due to the said bills, thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh since late November 2020, demanding the withdrawal of the three laws, the petition said.
The petition states that even though the protests have largely been peaceful, the three primary places of farmer protest are Ghazipur Border, Singhu Border and Tikri Border, which have been blocked by the protesters, thereby preventing traffic for common people, residents. to prevent the free flow of , patients and those in need of medical assistance.
The highway on the Singhu border between Delhi and Sonepat in Haryana has been blocked by protesters since November last year, causing immense hardship to the people, residents, patients and those in need of medical aid, of Sonepat, which is the adjoining district. Delhi said.
The petition states that due to COVID-19, the country has faced an unprecedented increase in the number of positive cases as well as the number of deaths due to the virus.
This wave of pandemic has not only led to a rapid increase in the number of people affected by the virus but has also created a situation where there is a lack of essential basic medical facilities including availability of hospital beds and medicine for treatment. . Especially in districts in Sonipat and other adjoining districts, it said.
The petitioners further submitted that the adjoining areas of Delhi, especially districts like Sonepat, faced an unprecedented increase in cases during the second wave.
Moreover, since the majority of the district has rural background, the ground reality of COVID positive cases is much higher than that reflected in official government reporting, the petition said.
The petitioners sought directions to the concerned authorities to open the Singhu border of Delhi (Sonipat-Delhi) and temporarily shift the protesters to an allotted place for free flow of traffic.
Initially, the protest started from Punjab in November last year and later spread to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and some other parts of the country.
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