Supreme Court Dismisses New Plea to Remove Farmers' Blockades on Highways in Punjab
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New Delhi, Dec 9 (NationPress) The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a new plea that sought instructions to swiftly remove the blockages on both national and state highways in Punjab, which have been reportedly blocked indefinitely by farmers and their unions.
“Why are you submitting repeated petitions? We are already addressing this issue and have initiated some actions. There is no room for multiple petitions,” remarked a bench led by Justice Surya Kant to the petitioner.
“In the ongoing PIL, we do not refuse any counsel. You may support us on the scheduled date, and we will determine what orders can be issued regarding the reopening of highways,” the apex court stated.
Indicating that no new petitions on the same issue should be accepted, the bench, which also included Justice Manmohan, proceeded to reject the latest petition put forth by social activist Gaurav Luthra.
The court allowed the petitioner’s attorney to contribute to the ongoing case regarding the larger public interest issue.
The PIL requested a mandate to ensure that all national highways and railway lines remain unobstructed by the protesting farmers, thereby facilitating smooth transit for the public.
“The alleged farmers and their unions have obstructed the national highway at the entry point of Punjab, namely Shambu, for over a year and have recently blocked national and state highways throughout Punjab at various locations since October 24,” the petition asserted.
In a previous ruling in September, the Supreme Court had mandated the establishment of a committee aimed at peacefully addressing the concerns of farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border. The court proposed a panel led by Justice Nawab Singh, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to negotiate with the protesting farmers regarding the removal of their tractors and trolleys from the national highway for the convenience of the public. Additionally, the apex court permitted farmers to relocate their peaceful protests to an alternative site. The committee also included former Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, agricultural analyst Devender Sharma, Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman, agricultural economist Dr. Sukhpal Singh, and Professor Baldev Raj Kamboj as a special invitee.
