HC asks farmers to get approval before staging protest

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked farmers' bodies to seek approval of the Patiala district administration before they begin their sit-in on Friday, saying without the permission the protest would be deemed illegal.
The farmers have vowed to protest in the city in support of their demands, including waiver of loans, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, and compensation to the family of the farmers who have committed suicide.
The court said if the farmers failed to get approval from the authorities their "gathering would not satisfy the test of being legal".
The district administration has imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in Patiala and the court today asked the Punjab government to ensure it is enforced strictly.

A division bench of the court - comprising Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice Amit Rawal - told Punjab Advocate- General Atul Nanda to apprise the court tomorrow on the steps the state government has taken to ensure there was "no free entry to the Patiala city".
According to a government spokesperson, the orders came on a public interest litigation filed by a Patiala-based lawyer, who has said the proposed protest may cause problems to city residents, besides creating a law and order situation.
The imposition of the Sec 144 prohibits assembly of five or more people.
Seven farmers' outfits have said they will stage a five- day protest outside Moti Bagh in Patiala from Friday. Punjab police have detained nearly 200 farmers ahead of the protest.