New Delhi, January 18
Noting that its intervention to resolve the deadlock over farmers’ protests against farms laws has been misunderstood, the Supreme Court on Monday said it was for the Delhi Police to take a call if farmers’ should be allowed to enter the national capital with their tractor rally.
“Our intervention has been strongly misunderstood…Who will come in the city and who will be allowed will not be seen by us,” a Bench headed by CJI SA Bobde told the Centre while hearing a plea filed by the Delhi Police to stop farmers’ proposed tractor rally on January 26.
“You are at liberty to invoke all powers under the law,” the CJI told the Attorney General KK Venugopal.
CJI Bobde said the matter will be taken up when he sits in a Bench with Justice AS Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian.
The top court adjourned the matter to Wednesday even as Solicitor-General said there were issues to be addressed.
Top court said it’s for the Delhi Police to decide whether to allow farmers to enter Delhi and if allowed to enter the national capital, how many, and on what conditions.
The Delhi Police are the first authority to decide it and not the Supreme Court, clarified the CJI.
A farmers’ group cites request to the Delhi Police to allow entry into Delhi on January 26.
The top court — which stayed the implementation of the three farm laws on January 12 — said the question of entry into Delhi is a law and order issue and it’s for the Delhi Police to decide if protesters can enter the city.
“We said this last time that entry to Delhi has to be seen under the Delhi police. Invoke all your powers to see whether farmers can be allowed in the city,” the CJI tells Attorney General KK Venugopal.
The Delhi Police had filed a plea seeking direction to stop farmers’proposed tractor rally on Republic Day.
“Who can be allowed or not are matters of law and order will be dealt by police. We cannot be the first authority here. Does the Union of India need Supreme Court to tell it what powers it has under the Police Act?” CJI told Venugopal.
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