The Supreme Court has adjourned till Monday petitions filed by a former Delhi BJP MLA and an advocate that seek to remove hundreds of anti-citizenship law protesters encamped for over a month at the city's Shaheen Bagh area. The top was scheduled to hear the case today but postponed the matter because of Assembly polls in the national capital tomorrow, saying it did not want to influence the election. The petitioner argued postponment meant the case would not be heard till after the election, to which Justice SK Kaul humorously replied, cat is out of the bag that is the exact reason we are adjourning."That is exactly why we are saying 'come on Monday'. Why should we influence it (the election)? We understand the problem and we have to see how to resolve it. We will take it up on Monday. We will be in a better position by then," a two-judge bench consisting of Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph said.
Supreme Court also told the petitioners to come prepared on Monday to explain why the matter should not be remitted back to the Delhi High Court. On Thursday Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed the area had become a breeding ground for suicide bombers conspiring against the country from the capital. The Shaheen Bagh site, were over 200 women have braved the winter to agitate against the Citizenship Amendment Act has emerged as the epicentre of nationwide protests as oppostions tries to make it the focus of Delhi polls.