New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (December 9) dismissed a petition seeking directions from the top court to the Centre and others to immediately remove the blockage of national and state highways in Punjab, saying the matter is already pending before it and it cannot entertain repetitive petitions on the issue.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Manmohan, while dismissing the petition by a social activist from Punjab seeking, granted liberty to the petitioner to assist the court when the main matter is taken up.
What did the apex court say?
“There is already one PIL (Public Interest Litigation) pending on the same subject. We will not entertain more petitions on the same issue. The petition is thus dismissed. Liberty is granted to the petitioner to assist the court when the main matter is taken up,” the bench said.
Protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border since February 13
Protesting farmers have been camping at the Shambhu border near Ambala since February 13 this year after an announcement by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha for ‘Delhi Chalo’ (move towards Delhi) march was stopped by the security forces.
The top court had earlier on September 2 constituted a five-member high-powered committee, while hearing an appeal filed by the Haryana government against an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing to remove barricades at the Shambhu border, to amicably resolve the grievances of the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border under the chairmanship of former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh.
What did the petitioner say?
The petitioner submitted that the fundamental right of the citizens is being violated by the farmers by blocking highways in the entire state of Punjab and people of Punjab and other neighbouring states are facing great difficulty due to the blockage of national and state highways in Punjab.
“The alleged farmers and their farmer unions have blocked the national highway at the entry point of Punjab i.e. Shambu for more than one year and recently have blocked national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab at various locations on October 24, 2024,” the petitioner said.
The petitioner also claimed that the entire Army movement towards the northern borders of the country passes through Punjab and the blockage of highways was a threat to national security.
“The state of Punjab is being targeted by the foreign, external and anti-national forces with the intention to use alleged farmers and farmer unions to de-stable Punjab as Punjab is the backbone of the entire country and has a history of facing many attacks from neighbouring countries,” the petitioner claimed.
