SC To Hear Plea Against Suitability Of Delhi Protest Site (Img: X)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an alternative venue for public demonstrations, arguing that Delhi's Jantar Mantar is no longer suitable for large-scale protests due to growing concerns over public inconvenience, traffic congestion and disruption to essential services.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, issued notices to the Centre and other respondents on the petition filed by Satish Chand Kaushik. The court also asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to obtain instructions from the government and file its response.
During the hearing, the Bench observed that the petition raises important questions regarding access and movement in and around the Jantar Mantar area. Referring to the plea, the Chief Justice noted that the site may no longer be appropriate for prolonged protests because of difficulties related to ingress and egress, as well as disruption to the supply of essential services.
"It has been stated in the plea that Jantar Mantar is not a proper site anymore for such protests due to ingress and egress issues. Supply of medical essentials etc. I think this is important," the Chief Justice remarked while directing the Centre to respond.
During the proceedings, the petitioner's counsel referred to reports of a proposed march by the Aam Aadmi Party towards the Prime Minister's residence and urged the court to ensure that incidents similar to the July 20 protest are not repeated.
Also Read: CJP Protest: CM Rekha Gupta Reacted To Jantar Mantar Protest, Urges To Believe In PM Modi
The Bench, however, declined to comment on the proposed demonstration. The Chief Justice expressed confidence that the authorities would be able to manage the situation, adding, "They know how to handle it. If they cannot, come to us for mishandling. I am sure they will handle it."
Jantar Mantar recently became the centre of nationwide demonstrations over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. The protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) along with activist Sonam Wangchuk and student organisations, continued for over a month before being called off after the Centre accepted key demands, including the resignation of the then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
