Shaheen Bagh interlocutors file report in Supreme Court
Krishnadas RajagopalNEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 12:27 IST
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 25, 2020 10:15 IST
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Protesters raise slogans during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens at Shaheen Bagh, in New Delhi.
Protesters raise slogans during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens at Shaheen Bagh, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: PTI
‘We will list the case for hearing day after tomorrow’, says Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul
Supreme Court-appointed interlocutors senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran on Monday handed over a report of their four-day endeavour to coax Shaheen Bagh protesters to shift their agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to an alternative site, conveniently out of the way of traffic and public movement.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph took the yellow-enveloped reports proferred by the interlocutors in the courtroom. “We will go through the report. We will list the case for hearing day after tomorrow,” Justice Kaul said.
The court refused to give a copy of the report to petitioner-advocate Amit Sahni. “We are not even putting it [report] on record... Let’s go through it first,” Justice Kaul said.
Also read | Protesters not to vacate site till CAA is revoked
On February 17, the Supreme Court upheld the fundamental right of mothers, children and ordinary people of Shaheen Bagh and Delhi to protest against the CAA but expressed its concern over their blocking public areas such as roads to voice their discontent.
“Democracy works on different views. We have no quibble on that. You want to protest, no problem. You don’t want to wait for our judgment on the validity of the CAA but want to have a social build-up against the legislation, we have no problem... We do not mind if a 1,000 sites are created, but our limited concern is whether you could protest without blocking roads and entering public areas... With every right there comes a responsibility too,” Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had observed.
The court appointed the interlocutors in order to convey its apprehension to the protesters and suggest them to move to an area where they could continue with the protests without causing inconvenience to free movement. It also left it open for advocate Tasneem Ahmadi to talk to former bureaucrat and intervenor Wajahat Habibullah and even take up the court’s apprehensions about prolonged blockade at Shaheen Bagh with the protesters.
Also read | ‘Police barricaded roads with no link to Shaheen Bagh stir’
“The law [CAA] has been enacted by the Parliament and is facing constitutional challenge before this Court, but that by itself will not take away the right to protest of the persons who feel aggrieved by the legislation. However, the question is where and how protest can carry on without public ways being blocked. Our concern is more than this matter alone, as there may be persons of different points of view who may tomorrow seek to emulate this protest, such scenario only leads to chaotic situation. This must cease on public ways everywhere,” the court order on February 17 said.
Habibullah’s affidavit
A fresh affidavit filed by Mr. Habibullah in the court alleged that the police had barricaded numerous number of roads with no connection to the peaceful protests at the Shaheen Bagh.
He submitted that “Shaheen Bagh stands tall as a firm example of a peaceful, dignified dissent, more so, in the face of various instances of State-sponsored violence on similar dissents across India”.
His affidavit said, “We have been sad and mute witnesses to police brutality and negative typecasting of a particular community across the country. Crushing dissent instead of entering into a dialogue is the new norm, but it is alien to our Constitution”.
Protesters not to vacate site till CAA is revoked
STAFF REPORTERNEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 00:00 IST
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 24, 2020 04:33 IST
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A part of the road, which leads to Noida, was opened for transportation at Shaheen Bagh on Sunday.BIBEK CHETTRI
A part of the road, which leads to Noida, was opened for transportation at Shaheen Bagh on Sunday.BIBEK CHETTRI
We have been blocking only a 150-metre stretch, they say
With the hearing pertaining to Shaheen Bagh likely to come up before the Supreme Court on Monday, women who have been on a sit-in since December 16, said they are not willing to vacate the protest site till the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is revoked by the Centre.
The top court had earlier appointed advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran as interlocutors to speak to the protesters about shifting to an alternative site while observing that the road blockade by them was depriving other citizens of their rights.
While one of the several routes blocked was opened by authorities on Saturday for traffic after several rounds of meetings between the demonstrators and mediators, protesters maintained that the route was never barricaded by protesters in the first place.
“People are saying that Shaheen Bagh protesters have opened the road towards Kalindi Kunj. But we never blocked it in the first place. The barricades over there were put by the police just like they have blocked other roads. We have been blocking only one stretch which is where the women are sitting. So how can we open a road which we haven’t even closed?” said Prakash Devi, one of the protesters.
Ms. Devi added, “Even when the interlocutors came for a meeting we told them that it is only a 150-metre stretch that has been blocked by protesters. When they came for a second time, they went for an inspection and saw how the barricades were not put by us. In fact, we are ensuring that we allow ambulances and school buses to pass through this particular stretch so that no hindrance is caused to them.” The protest against the CAA-NRC-NPR regime has entered its 71st day with hundreds of people gathering at Shaheen Bagh on a daily basis.
Krishnadas RajagopalNEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 12:27 IST
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 25, 2020 10:15 IST
SHARE ARTICLEPRINTA A A
Protesters raise slogans during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens at Shaheen Bagh, in New Delhi.
Protesters raise slogans during a demonstration against the amended Citizenship Act and National Register of Citizens at Shaheen Bagh, in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: PTI
‘We will list the case for hearing day after tomorrow’, says Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul
Supreme Court-appointed interlocutors senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran on Monday handed over a report of their four-day endeavour to coax Shaheen Bagh protesters to shift their agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to an alternative site, conveniently out of the way of traffic and public movement.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K.M. Joseph took the yellow-enveloped reports proferred by the interlocutors in the courtroom. “We will go through the report. We will list the case for hearing day after tomorrow,” Justice Kaul said.
The court refused to give a copy of the report to petitioner-advocate Amit Sahni. “We are not even putting it [report] on record... Let’s go through it first,” Justice Kaul said.
Also read | Protesters not to vacate site till CAA is revoked
On February 17, the Supreme Court upheld the fundamental right of mothers, children and ordinary people of Shaheen Bagh and Delhi to protest against the CAA but expressed its concern over their blocking public areas such as roads to voice their discontent.
“Democracy works on different views. We have no quibble on that. You want to protest, no problem. You don’t want to wait for our judgment on the validity of the CAA but want to have a social build-up against the legislation, we have no problem... We do not mind if a 1,000 sites are created, but our limited concern is whether you could protest without blocking roads and entering public areas... With every right there comes a responsibility too,” Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul had observed.
The court appointed the interlocutors in order to convey its apprehension to the protesters and suggest them to move to an area where they could continue with the protests without causing inconvenience to free movement. It also left it open for advocate Tasneem Ahmadi to talk to former bureaucrat and intervenor Wajahat Habibullah and even take up the court’s apprehensions about prolonged blockade at Shaheen Bagh with the protesters.
Also read | ‘Police barricaded roads with no link to Shaheen Bagh stir’
“The law [CAA] has been enacted by the Parliament and is facing constitutional challenge before this Court, but that by itself will not take away the right to protest of the persons who feel aggrieved by the legislation. However, the question is where and how protest can carry on without public ways being blocked. Our concern is more than this matter alone, as there may be persons of different points of view who may tomorrow seek to emulate this protest, such scenario only leads to chaotic situation. This must cease on public ways everywhere,” the court order on February 17 said.
Habibullah’s affidavit
A fresh affidavit filed by Mr. Habibullah in the court alleged that the police had barricaded numerous number of roads with no connection to the peaceful protests at the Shaheen Bagh.
He submitted that “Shaheen Bagh stands tall as a firm example of a peaceful, dignified dissent, more so, in the face of various instances of State-sponsored violence on similar dissents across India”.
His affidavit said, “We have been sad and mute witnesses to police brutality and negative typecasting of a particular community across the country. Crushing dissent instead of entering into a dialogue is the new norm, but it is alien to our Constitution”.
Protesters not to vacate site till CAA is revoked
STAFF REPORTERNEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 00:00 IST
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 24, 2020 04:33 IST
SHARE ARTICLEPRINTA A A
A part of the road, which leads to Noida, was opened for transportation at Shaheen Bagh on Sunday.BIBEK CHETTRI
A part of the road, which leads to Noida, was opened for transportation at Shaheen Bagh on Sunday.BIBEK CHETTRI
We have been blocking only a 150-metre stretch, they say
With the hearing pertaining to Shaheen Bagh likely to come up before the Supreme Court on Monday, women who have been on a sit-in since December 16, said they are not willing to vacate the protest site till the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is revoked by the Centre.
The top court had earlier appointed advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran as interlocutors to speak to the protesters about shifting to an alternative site while observing that the road blockade by them was depriving other citizens of their rights.
While one of the several routes blocked was opened by authorities on Saturday for traffic after several rounds of meetings between the demonstrators and mediators, protesters maintained that the route was never barricaded by protesters in the first place.
“People are saying that Shaheen Bagh protesters have opened the road towards Kalindi Kunj. But we never blocked it in the first place. The barricades over there were put by the police just like they have blocked other roads. We have been blocking only one stretch which is where the women are sitting. So how can we open a road which we haven’t even closed?” said Prakash Devi, one of the protesters.
Ms. Devi added, “Even when the interlocutors came for a meeting we told them that it is only a 150-metre stretch that has been blocked by protesters. When they came for a second time, they went for an inspection and saw how the barricades were not put by us. In fact, we are ensuring that we allow ambulances and school buses to pass through this particular stretch so that no hindrance is caused to them.” The protest against the CAA-NRC-NPR regime has entered its 71st day with hundreds of people gathering at Shaheen Bagh on a daily basis.
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