'Can 4-month-old go to protest?': Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre and the Delhi government over the death of a four-month-old at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh where the longest protest against the citizenship law CAA has been going on.

"Can a four-month-old child go for the protest?" the Supreme Court asked, coming down heavily on the lawyers who say they are appearing for mothers of children sitting in protest at Shaheen Bagh.

A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, took note of the incident after a 12-year-old National Bravery Award Winner wrote to Chief Justice Bobde over the baby's death. In her letter, Zen Gunratan Sadavarte sought probe into the infant's death.

Four-month-old Mohammad Jahan was taken to the protest site at Shaheen Bagh by his parents almost every day. He died of severe cold and congestion on January 30 after being exposed to the bitter cold.

A group of lawyers speaking for the Shaheen Bagh protesters contended before the top court that even Greta Thunberg was a child when she became a protester and raised concerns on children from the area being called "Pakistani" in schools.

The Chief Justice told the one of the lawyers not to make "irrelevant arguments". "If someone makes irrelevant arguments, we will stop. This is court. We have the highest respect for motherhood," the top court said.

Can't block roads indefinitely: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any order against the Shaheen Bagh protests without hearing their side. The court also said the protesters can't block the public road indefinitely and create inconvenience to others.

People are entitled to protest but they have to do so in an area designated for agitation, the SC said.

The court listed the matter for hearing on February 17 and issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government and the police. It was hearing a plea seeking against the protests in Shaheen Bagh against CAA and NRC since December 15, 2019.

Activist Amit Sahni had filed the petition saying daily life had been disturbed due to the protests. The plea stated, "The respondents (Delhi police) cannot be permitted to behave like mute spectators particularly in a situation presently faced by persons living in the vicinity of Kalindi Kunj".

"No one can be permitted to occupy a public road for any reason whatsoever under the pretext of peaceful protest and that too for an indefinite period to make others suffer for the same," added the plea.

Sahni had earlier filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, highlighting the plight of the public due to the continuing protests at Shaheen Bagh.

But the Delhi HC quashed the petition without stating any reasons and asked the authorities to look into the matter.