The Supreme Court on Wednesday has delivered its verdict on balancing the right to protest against the right to public movement in the background of Shaheen Bagh protests.
“Pubic places cannot be occupied indefinitely,” said Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who headed the three-judge bench. The other two judges were Krishna Murari and Hrishikesh Roy.
Justice Kaul in his verdict remarks, “Dissent and democracy go hand in hand but protests must be carried out in designated area”.
Referring to the anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh, the court said authorities cannot hide behind the court and have to act on their own.
“Administration ought to take action to keep the area clear of encroachments and obstructions”, the Supreme Court added further.
Justice Kaul also points out the critical role of social media during such protests and said, “Social media channels often fraught with danger lead to the highly polarising environment and this is what was witnessed in Shaheen Bagh. Started as a protest and caused inconvenience to commuters.”
Shaheen Bagh became the center of anti-CAA protests after it emerged as a protest venue for people opposing the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizen (NRC).
The verdict came on the plea of lawyer Amit Sahni against the blockade of the road in Shaheen bagh by protestors.
