SC adjourns hearing on plea against blocking of roads due to farmers protest to January

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a plea against the blockade of roads between Delhi to Noida due to farmers protests against the three agriculture laws to January 2022.

A Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul adjourned the matter at the request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, who said he needs to take instructions in view of "recent developments" (repeal of the three farm laws).

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing farmers unions in the matter, requested the matter to be heard in January.

To this, Justice Kaul in a lighter vein said, "Let me say something on a lighter side, this is probably for the first time both Solicitor General and Prashant Bhushan have made a joint request. This should be cited as an example."

Earlier, the apex court had said that farmers have the right to protest but roads can't be blocked indefinitely.

"You may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked," Justice Kaul had told farmers unions.

"Ultimately some solution has to be found. I am not averse to their right to protest even when legal challenge is pending, but roads cannot be blocked," he had added.

The Bench said that the law is laid down and there is nothing more to be laid down.

The top court also took grim view of the continued blockade of highways in Delhi-NCR due to farmers protests against the three agriculture laws and said that this can not be a perpetual problem.

The Bench had said that redressal of the issue can be through judicial forum, agitation or parliamentary debates and asked how can highways be blocked.

The Bench was hearing a plea of a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear so that the passage is not affected.

Noida resident Monicca Agarwaal had filed the plea in the apex court and alleged that her travel to Delhi is taking two hours instead of the normal 20 minutes.

She had contended that despite the various directions passed by the apex court to keep the to and fro passage clear (the road), the same had still not happened.

Being a single parent who has some medical issues, Agarwaal said that it has become a nightmare to travel to Delhi. The plea said she stayed and worked in Noida, but since she had a marketing job she had to travel frequently to Delhi.

( With inputs from ANI )

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