The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea filed against the farmers’ protest on the Punjab-Haryana border while observing that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had already seized the matter.
This petition was filed asking the Supreme Court to issue guidelines, immediately remove the farmers from the roads and take action against those blocking the roads.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant told the petitioner that he must be aware that the High Court has been listening to the matter. The counsel for the petitioner, however, claimed that nothing has been happening on the ground.
The court then observed that the high court had been hearing the case and had also issued directions. Parallel proceedings before both the Supreme Court and the High Court are therefore not needed.
“Directions have already been passed by the High Court. Why do you want us to start parallel proceedings? We understand why people prefer to file a PIL before the Supreme Court, and we appreciate that,’ Justice Surya Kant said.
Justice Kant further added, “Whatever hard work the High Court has done, whatever stage they have reached, that will go away. They will raise their hands as the Supreme Court is hearing. Will it serve anyone’s cause? You can always approach the High Court and assist the court.”
The court then noted that if the High Court had adjourned the case for a long time, and then someone would have approached the Supreme Court, then the court could have considered the urgency and asked the High Court to hear the case.
The court then allowed the petitioner to withdraw the petition to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court to assist in ongoing proceedings.
Farmers from Punjab and Haryana have launched a ‘Dilli Chalo’ protest march to press forward their demands, including a legal guarantee on a minimum support price for crops. Presently, they are camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana.
Source Agencies
