SC adjourns hearing on plea against blocking of roads due to farmers' protest

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on a plea against the blockade of roads between Delhi and Noida due to farmers' protests to January 2022.

A Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul adjourned the matter at the request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, who said he needed to take instructions in view of "recent developments" (repeal of the three farm laws).

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Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing farmer unions in the matter, requested the matter to be heard in January.

To this, Justice Kaul in a lighter vein said, "Let me say something on a lighter side, this is probably for the first time both Solicitor General and Prashant Bhushan have made a joint request. This should be cited as an example." Earlier, the Supreme Court had said farmers have the right to protest, but roads can't be blocked indefinitely. "You may have a right to agitate in any manner but roads should not be blocked," Justice Kaul had told farmers unions. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Social media[/caption] "Ultimately some solution has to be found. I am not averse to their right to protest even when legal challenge is pending, but roads cannot be blocked," he had added. Also read | Omicron scare: Third Covid-19 wave may hit India by Feb, projected to be milder than second The Bench said the law was laid down and there was nothing more to be laid down. The top court also took grim view of the continued blockade of highways in Delhi-NCR due to farmers' protests and said this could not be a perpetual problem. The Bench had said redressal of the issue could be through judicial forum, agitation or parliamentary debates and asked how could highways be blocked. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Social media[/caption] The Bench was hearing a plea of a woman resident of Noida seeking direction to ensure that the road between Noida and Delhi is kept clear so that the passage is not affected. Noida resident Monica Agarwaal had 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 had contended that despite various directions passed by the apex court to keep the to and fro passage clear (the road), the same had still not happened. -PTC News