Farmer protest: Seek redressal through judicial forum or parliamentary debates, not by blocking roads, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday heard a plea seeking directions to clear the roads blocked due to the farmers’ protest and said redressal can be through judicial forum or parliamentary debates, not by blocking the roads.

The Bench, led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, reiterated its previous contention that the solution lies in the hands of the Centre and the concerned state governments, and that the roads should not be blocked for any reason whatsoever. 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Court that the agitating farmers refused to join meetings conducted by the High-Level Committee formed pursuant to the orders of the Court. The SG further requested the court to implead them as parties in the present matter. 

The Court said the petitioner may not be aware who is representing the farmers as a leader. “If you feel that someone is to be made a party, you will have to make a request,” the bench told the SG. 

The Court then adjourned the matter till October 4. 

The state of Haryana also informed that it has constituted a four-member Committee under the leadership of IAS Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana Home Department, to hold discussions with the farmers/farmer’s organisations to resolve the issue of blockades of Inter-State Roads and National Highways, to avoid any inconvenience to the general public. 

The affidavit comes as a response to the writ petition filed by a woman resident of Noida, seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida to Delhi is kept clear, so that the passage from one place to another is not affected. The petitioner stated that she is in a marketing job and her work requires her to travel from her home in Noida to Delhi. She further alleged that her travel to Delhi is taking two hours instead of normal 20 minutes. The woman expressed that she is a single parent and also suffering from some medical issues. She contended that despite the various directions passed by the Supreme Court to keep the to and fro passage clear (the roads), the same still does not happen.

The Court was previously informed by the state of Uttar Pradesh that continuous efforts were being made to remove the blockade. Farmers were being explained to remove the illegally imposed barriers at the protest site, but most of the ryots present at the protest site are elderly.

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