New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday pulled up the Kisan Mahapanchayat, a body of agricultural community and farmers, which is protesting against the three controversial farm laws, for approaching the court to continue the protests Satyagrah at Jantar Mantar.
The apex court said protesting farmers had been obstructing traffic, blocking trains and national highways in Delhi-NCR. The bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar observed that the protesting farmers had strangulated the entire city and now, they wanted to enter the city.
"You have strangulated the city and now you want to come inside the city and protest. This coaxing should stop. You have blocked highways and roads," the court noted.
A court told the petitioner that once the laws have been challenged in courts, the protesting farmers should repose their faith in the system and courts, instead of taking to the streets.
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To this, advocate Ajay Choudhary, appearing for the petitioner, said the ones blocking the national highways were not farmers. Following this, the court asked the petitioner to file an affidavit stating it was indeed not the farmers that participated in the protests and blocked traffic. It also asked the farmers to serve a copy of the petition to the Attorney General in advance. The Kisan Mahapanchayat is likely to file an affidavit by Monday.
The matter will be heard again on Monday.
Speaking on the matter Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said, "We want to go to Delhi and protest, but the government has blocked our way by putting up barricades. Farmers have not brought barricading from villages with them. The concrete wall on the highway was not built by the farmers but by the Government. The government should demolish the concrete wall and get the roads cleared."
