Right to protest fundamental, but must not disrupt public order: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that while the right to peaceful and lawful protest is fundamental, but it must not spill over into threats or disruptions of public order.

A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the observation while responding to concerns that criminal cases were being filed against young individuals protesting.

The court, however, refused to entertain a plea seeking direction to the Centre to take a time-bound decision on the Maharashtra government’s proposal regarding the renaming of the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

The court observed that everyone has the right to protest within the bounds of law, but they must not take to the streets in a manner that endangers law and order or inconveniences the common man.

The bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, was hearing a plea filed by 'Prakashjhot Samajik Sanstha' challenging a Bombay High Court order.

The Maharashtra government had proposed to rename the Navi Mumbai International Airport as ‘Lokneta D B Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’.

The petitioner sought a time-bound decision from the Centre with regard to the state government's proposal. “This will amount to indulging in policy making,” the bench told the counsel appearing for the petitioner organisation.

The court said it was not inclined to entertain the plea challenging a November 2025 order of the Bombay High Court, which had dismissed the petition.

The counsel contended that the government may name the airport as it deems fit, but the petitioner only seeks that the decision may be taken in a time-bound manner.

The bench asked, ''Why should it pass the order? Tomorrow they may say we do not want to name, please don't ask for an order that becomes embarrassing for us also."

“Is it the function of the court to decide what the name of an airport should be,” the bench asked the counsel.

The bench, however, granted liberty to the petitioner to pursue the case before the competent authority.