Can't pass blanket order against invoking NSA: Supreme Court tells petitioner over Act being used for CAA protesters

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea against the probable misuse of the National Security Act, which allows the detention of people for 12 months, in Delhi and other places, in view of the ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

“We can't pass a blanket order. We can intervene only in case of specific instances,” a bench presided by Justice Arun Mishra said to a PIL by advocate M L Sharma.

"How can we tie down the hands of authorities when properties are being burnt in the ongoing protests?” the bench asked the petitioner who apprehended the stringent provisions could be misused against the CAA protesters.

The PIL questioned the order issued by the Delhi's Lieutenant Governor allowing Delhi Police to invoke NSA for three months from January 19.

“These are law and order issues. How can we interfere? We cannot pass a general direction, a blanket order restraining govt from invoking the NSA, but we can definitely do something if individual cases of misuse of the NSA by authorities is brought to our attention,” the bench told Sharma.

“You are asking us to issue a direction to the government not to arrest anybody. How can we do that?” the bench further asked, further asking him to withdraw the petition while giving him the liberty to approach the court citing individual cases of misuse of authority.

On January 10, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal extended the power of detaining people to the Delhi Police under the NSA for a three-month period, beginning January 19.