SC to resume hearing on petitions seeking removal of anti-CAA protesters from Shaheen Bagh

The Supreme Court will on Monday resume the hearing in petitions, seeking its direction to the central government and others for removal of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters from Shaheen Bagh area in Delhi.

On, February 10, a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and also comprising Justice K M Joseph issued the notices to the Centre, the Delhi government and 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 protests 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 protesters 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.