Shaheen Bagh infant death: Can 4-month old take part in protest on its own, ask SC

"Can a 4-month-old child be taking part in such (Shaheen Bagh) protests?", the Supreme Court asked on Monday while warning some women lawyers for making "explosive submissions" that children participating in these anti-CAA demonstrations are being called names, 'terrorist', 'gaddar' (traitor), 'Pakistani', in school.

"Don't make explosive submissions. Please do not make such statements. We do not want people to use this platform to further create problems," said a bench, comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, when two women advocates instantly started making submissions.

When the bench said it was taking suo motu cognizance of the letter written by a national bravery award winner Zen Gunratan Sadavarte, seeking that minors be barred from participating in any type of protest and agitation, the advocates interrupted claiming that children participating in the protest are being called names, 'terrorist', 'gaddar' (traitor), 'Pakistani', in schools.

"They (children) come home crying," they submitted.

The intervention by advocates Shahrukh Alam and Nandita Rao, did not go down well with the bench, which said: "We will not hear you on this. Don't make such types of arguments."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed them saying, "Can it be a ground for sitting on dharna with a four-month-old child or can they oppose this on the ground that children are being called names like gaddars in school."
The bench asked, "A four-month old infant had gone to protest? But tell us which four-month-old child goes on its own to protest sites."