No Ban on CJP March on September 5 (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with the proposed September 5 march by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi, saying there were no immediate grounds to presume that the protest would turn violent.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the Centre and Delhi government. The court observed that all stakeholders should follow legal procedures and ensure peaceful conduct.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court said there were “no compelling circumstances” to believe that the proposed mobilisation would lead to any untoward incident.
The bench expressed confidence that protesters and authorities would respect each other’s rights and act within the legal framework. The court said decisions regarding permissions, restrictions or security arrangements should be taken by the concerned law-and-order authorities.
The court was hearing petitions seeking restrictions on large gatherings and marches in sensitive areas of Delhi, including India Gate and Central Vista.
The petitioners had also requested that the September 5 march be postponed until after the BRICS Summit scheduled in Delhi on September 12-13, citing security concerns ahead of the international event.
The petitioners argued that the organisers had announced the march without obtaining necessary permissions and warned that any disturbance could attract international attention.
The proposed march was announced by CJP on August 24 as a “peaceful march” from India Gate to Delhi Police Headquarters.
The protest is being led by families of students who died by suicide following the NEET controversy, along with people demanding action over alleged police excesses during the July 20 agitation.
The group claims that the government failed to fulfil assurances that led to the withdrawal of its earlier 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar.
The Supreme Court has already formed a High-Powered Enquiry Committee (HPEC) headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice R Subhash Reddy to examine allegations related to the July 20 protest.
The committee will investigate claims of excessive police action, allegations of violence by protesters, injuries to police personnel and damage to public property. The court directed that the matter will continue to be monitored and posted the case for further hearing on September 10.
