Supreme Court To Hear Petitions Against Shaheen Bagh Protest Today

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a set of petitions on the Shaheen Bagh protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Delhi. The petitioners' argument is that arterial roads have been blocked in the national capital putting people to great inconvenience.

The petitions question the constitutional validity of the protest and argue that constitutional rights have to be counter-balanced and cannot violate the rights of other people. A protester cannot assert the right to protest in a particular site because necessary permission has to be obtained in order to do so. Delhi police have let the Shaheen Bagh protesters violate these guidelines, according to the petitioners.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition contends that the Delhi police is obligated to remove the protesters from the Shaheen Bagh area. One of the petitions also refers to the presence of children in the protests. It submits that children should not be made to sit in the protest by their parents and argues that parents do not have the right to do so in the light of the death of an infant in the protest.

The matter came up for hearing before the apex court on Friday but was deferred to Monday in view of the Delhi assembly elections.

The Shaheen Bagh protesters are said to be hoping that the Supreme Court allows them to continue their protests.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had said that it is for the law enforcement agencies to act in the matter. The HC observed that the Delhi police was empowered to take necessary action to remove the protesters, implying that courts need not intervene in the issue.