The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking directions to the Union government and others to remove restrictions on the farmers’ protests and ensure that the national highways and railway tracks were not blocked by agitators.
The order was passed by a Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant.
Filed by a social activist, the petition claimed that alleged farmers and farmer unions blocked the national highway at the entry point of Punjab (Shambu border) for more than a year. On October 24, 2024, the agitators blocked national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab.
It said farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have remained at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The protestors planned to enter Delhi on December 6, but suspended their ‘Dilli chalo’ march following tear gas firing by police. The protest march was resumed on December 8 and halted again due to the same reason.
The petition termed the blockage of highways as a threat to national security since the entire Army movement towards the northern borders of the country passed through Punjab.
It said people of Punjab and neighbouring states were facing great difficulty as they were unable to reach hospitals on time in case of medical emergency. Even ambulances were being stopped from running on national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab, it added.
The petitioner submitted that free movement on highways came under the fundamental right of the citizen, which was being violated by the farmers by blocking them in the entire state of Punjab.
It further contended that the state of Punjab was being targeted by foreign, external and anti-national forces with the intention to use alleged farmers and farmer unions to de-stable Punjab since the State was the backbone of the entire country and had a history of facing attacks from neighbouring countries.
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