Advocate moves SC against Shaheen Bagh protest

An advocate on Monday approached the Supreme Court against over a month-long protest and sit-in at Shaheen Bagh here against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, “causing huge inconvenience and hardship to the public at large”.

Lawyer Amit Sahani questioned the Delhi HC's order of January 14, directing the Delhi police to act in accordance with the law and keeping in mind larger public interest to a grievance for withdrawal of closure of a road between Kalindi Kunj and Shaheen Bagh for a month.

The protesters, including women and children, have occupied the road since December 15, 2019. The place had been visited by politicians and film stars and students union leaders of JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia University, among others.

In a special leave petition, he asked in view of lakhs of commuters facing hardship, the Delhi police cannot be permitted to behave like “mute spectators”. He sought a direction for monitoring of the situation by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or by a sitting Judge of Delhi High Court, to avoid any further deterioration of the situation and to any violence.

“Question is if protesters have unrestricted rights under Article 19 of the Constitution to protest on a busy road in violation of other persons’ right to have a thoroughfare and whether such protests can be permitted to continue especially when a particular road is blocked for over a month,” he asked.