NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday gave a stern message to the protesting students across the country who are protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and said the top court will not be held to ransom or be bullied as it set the date for hearing the matter on such protests for Tuesday.
Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said the apex court would not accept public properties being destroyed in the name of such protests that were held in Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University and Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh Muslim University late on Sunday.
The court observed that just being students, they could not take the law into their own hands. He made it clear that the court would only hear the matter if no further violent protests took place. He said the court was not saying students were responsible or that the police were innocent.
"We know what are rights...What is this? Public properties are being destroyed. We will decide it in cool frame of mind," said the Chief Justice to the lawyers.
The top court said it should first be assured that there is peace and no rioting, and then only it will hear the matters connected with the alleged police high-handedness on violent protests in Jamia area in south Delhi against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Chief Justice S.A. Bobde said, "first, we want to be assured that there would be peace, and if you want to take to street, then in that scenario, do not come to us".
Senior advocates Indira Jaising and Colin Gonsalves mentioned the matter before the court alleging police violence against students in Jamia. The Chief Justice told the lawyers that students can't say they have a right to breach the law and order.
The apex court reiterated its warning that if protest, violence and destruction of public properties go on, then "we will not hear".
The apex court agreed to take up the matter on Tuesday related to violence against students in Jamia Millia Islamia University, and also consider the case of disturbances in Aligarh Muslim University over the CAA.