The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to immediately clear blockades on national and state highways in Punjab where farmers are staging protests. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Manmohan said the matter is already pending before the court and it cannot entertain repetitive petitions on the same issue.
“We are already examining the larger issue. You are not the only conscience keeper of society. Don’t file repetitive petitions. Some are filing for publicity interest and some are filing to play to the gallery. We cannot entertain repetitive petitions on the same issue,” the bench told petitioner Gaurav Luthra, who claimed to be a social activist in Punjab, as quoted by PTI.
The court also refused Luthra’s request to tag the petition with the pending matter.
The protests have been ongoing since February 13, when farmers, led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, were stopped from marching to Delhi by security forces. The farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana.
The petition alleged that farmers and their unions have blocked highways across Punjab indefinitely, causing significant disruption. It claimed the blockades are a national security threat, as the movement of the Army to northern borders passes through the state. The petition also argued that the blockages are preventing ambulances and emergency services from reaching hospitals.
The petition also asserted that the blockages violate citizens’ fundamental right to free movement. It further claims that foreign and anti-national forces are using the protests to destabilise Punjab, which plays a crucial role in the security and stability of India.