Don't know anything 'officially' about team formed by SC to talk to Shaheen Bagh protesters: Former CIC Wajahat Habibullah

Former Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Wajahat Habibullah on Tuesday said that he has not got an official word as yet about his inclusion in the team of interlocutors appointed by the Supreme Court to talk to Shaheen Bagh protesters.

"I know nothing officially about the team, though I have heard it from the media about it that a team has been formed and I am also part of it. What is my role, I don't know even that because I have not read the orders. I cannot say if I am a member of the team or will be there to assist them. Because I have got contradictory reports," he said while speaking to ANI.

Speaking about the Shaheen Bagh protests, he said, "This is about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). I don't want to express my opinion right now because if I have to talk to them about it. It wouldn't be right for me to express my opinion at this stage."

He informed that there has been no meeting of the people appointed to talk to protesters, though the former CIC said he has talked to Sanjay Hegde.

Asked about how the protests would be seen in the view of the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump, he said India is a democratic country and the Constitution gives the right to every citizen to protest.

The Supreme Court on Monday appointed senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde and Sadhna Ramachandran apart from Habibullah to hold talks with people protesting at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area over CAA, and to convince them to shift their dharna to an alternative site.

The apex court has fixed the matter for further hearing on February 24.

During the hearing, Justice KM Joseph observed, "Right to protest is a fundamental right, across the countries.