'You strangulated the city, now want to come inside': Supreme Court's rebuttal to farmer protests

The Supreme Court of India has reacted sharply to protesting farmers having blocked roads and highways around Delhi for months on the pretext of opposing the new farm laws. While hearing a petition moved by the farmer unions seeking to protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the apex court said that the farmers have 'strangulated the entire city now want to come inside the city'.

The Kisan Mahapanchayat had sought permission to hold a satyagraha at the Jantar Mantar. 

"You have strangulated the city and now you want to come inside the city…You are obstructing security and defense personnel. This was in the media. All this should stop. There is no point in protest once you come to the court challenging the laws," Justice A M Khanwilkar, who is heading a two-judge bench said.

Advocate Ajay Choudhary, appearing for the farmer unions said in defence that they are not part of the protests blocking the roads and highways. He added that it was the police and not the farmers who were blocking the highways. "If you are not part of the Kisan protest, file an affidavit declaring that you are not part of the protest that is blocking the national highways at the borders of the city," the Supreme Court replied.

Supreme Court pulls up Kisan Mahapanchayat for approaching the court to continue the protests by blocking the National Highways in Delhi-NCR. Supreme Court says protesting farmers are obstructing traffic, blocking trains and national highways. pic.twitter.com/1m7vznYa2j

— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2021

The hearing on the petition has been postponed to Monday. This is the second day in a row that the Supreme Court has lashed out at the farmer protests. Another bench of Justices SK Kaul and MM Sundresh on Thursday criticised the 'perpetual protests' asking Centre and state governments to take steps to remove the blockades from the roads.

"Redressal can be through judicial form, agitation, or parliamentary debates. But how can highways be blocked and this happens perpetually? Where does it end?," justice S K Kaul asked.

Meanwhile, the main petitions challenging the validity of the three farm laws and the report of the three-member panel which was set up to speak to the various stakeholders have not been heard by the court since February.