PIL in SC seeks to remove Shaheen Bagh protesters over coronavirus

A new public interest litigation (PIL) was filed on Thursday in the Supreme Court seeking directions for immediate removal or dispersal of mass gathering at Shaheen Bagh in the national capital in view of the health hazards posed by coronavirus.

The PIL was filed in the apex court by Advocate Ashutosh Dubey.

Hundreds of demonstrators at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi have been agitating since December 15 last year against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizen (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

Residents Welfare Association members and Delhi Police had on Tuesday talked to the protesters at Shaheen Bagh and urged them to call off their protest.

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had directed that gathering with more than 50 persons, excluding weddings, will not be allowed in the national capital in a bid to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

So far, as many as 169 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in the country, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, another petition seeking the removal of Shaheen Bagh protesters claiming that it is causing obstruction of public space is also pending in the top court.

The interlocutors, appointed by the Supreme Court to engage with the protesters at Shaheen Bagh and convince them to demonstrate at an alternate location, have also submitted their report in the matter.