SC appoints advocate Sanjay Hedge to negotiate with Shaheen Bagh protesters

The Supreme Court on Monday appointed senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde, Sadhna Ramachandran and former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah to go and talk to protesters at Shaheen Bagh area to convince them to hold the agitation at 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."

"We have expressed our opinion and we are hopeful of a solution, if nothing is done, we will leave it to the concerned authorities," he said.

Advocate Deo Sudhi, appearing for one of the petitioners Nand Kishor Garg said that the protesters have not taken any kind of due permission from the concerned authorities and police.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also apprised that court, "We had a meeting with welfare societies that it's not fair to bring the entire city to hostage under the garb of protest... There are continuous efforts of negotiations going on."

On, February 10, a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and also comprising Justice KM Joseph issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government and the police over the protest.

The court was hearing two petitions seeking clearance of Shaheen Bagh, Kalindi Kunj road where the protest is going for nearly two months.

During the hearing, Justice Kaul expressed discontent on the ongoing protest and said: "Protest has been going on for a long time, how can you block a public road?"

The Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi had lately gained nationwide attention due to a continued anti-CAA sit-in by people, especially Muslim women against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register and National Register of Citizens.

The PIL, filed by Nand Kishore Garg and Amit Sahni through their lawyer Shashank Deo Sudhi earlier last week, sought appropriate directions to the Centre and others for removal of protestors from Shaheen Bagh near Kalindi Kunj.

It stated that people in Shaheen Bagh are illegally protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, by blocking the common and public road connecting Delhi to Noida.

The petition seeks appropriate direction to the respondents, including the Union of India (UOI) for laying down detailed, comprehensive and exhaustive guidelines relating to outright restrictions for holding protest/agitation leading to obstruction of the public place.