NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked senior advocates Sanjay Hegde and Sadhna Ramachandran along with a third person, as interlocutors to hold talks with the shaheen bagh protestors.
A bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph also asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to look into alternatives that can be agreed upon for shifting the location of the protest to another part of the national capital.
“One section of the society holds one point of view, its fine, they want to voice it in a form of like a social build-up, its acceptable but the limited question is the place which it can be done,” Justice Kaul remarked.
Echoing the same concern, Justice Joseph said, “We aren’t saying people don’t have right to protest even after the law is under challenge before this court but road can’t be blocked.”
The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by advocate Amit Sahni, who had approached the high court seeking directions to the Delhi Police to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch, which remains blocked by anti-CAA protesters since December 15.
The bench also asked lawyer representing Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who had moved an intervention in the appeal and other intervenors to try and speak to the Shaheen Bagh protesters and ask them to leave the site.
“Opinion formation takes place when there is a protest. Every right has to be coupled with responsibility. You have a right to protest but there is a larger issue of competing interests,” the bench said while slating the hearing for February 24.