The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to 43 farmers’ organisations in an application seeking to make them parties before the top court in a PIL against the blockade of roads between Delhi and Noida due to farmers’ protests against the three agriculture laws.
A Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul sought response from the farmers’ bodies holding protests at Delhi borders against the three farm laws. The order of the top court came on an application filed by the Haryana government where it has impleaded various farmers’ union as parties in the plea filed by a woman resident of Noida to remove the road blockade which is causing inconvenience to people. Earlier, the Bench had allowed the government to file the impleadment application.
The matter is now to be heard on 20 October. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the government told the Bench that a high-level three-member committee was formed where the farmers were invited to speak as people should not suffer, but they refused to join saying they are not a party in the case before the top court.
During the last hearing, the top court took a grim view of the continued blockade of highways in Delhi-NCR due to farmers’ protests against the three agriculture laws and said that this cannot 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 by 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. Earlier, the Haryana government had told the apex court through an affidavit that sincere efforts are being made to remove the blockades from interstate roads and national highways and to resume the free flow of traffic. It has been said that the general public continued to face great hardship due to the blockades of roads and is persuading the farmers and farmers’ organisations to cooperate.
The Haryana government had said that the protesters have a right to protest at a designated space but can’t block the outflow and inflow of traffic. The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier also filed its affidavit and said that it’s making all efforts to make farmers understand that their act of blocking roads is causing grave inconvenience to travellers. The top court had made it clear that it is not concerned about a larger issue on the farm laws which can be decided judicially, politically or administratively but limited to clearing of roads blocked by farmers.
Noida resident Monicca Agarwaal 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 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.