New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Centre and others to immediately clear the blockage of national and state highways in Punjab where farmers are staging protests.
Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The plea, filed in the apex court by a social activist hailing from Punjab, also sought directions to the Centre and others to remove restrictions on farmers’ protests and to ensure that national highways and railway tracks are not blocked by the agitating farmers.
It has alleged that farmers’ and farmer unions have blocked the entire national and state highways in Punjab permanently and for an indefinite period.
As per the cause list of December 9 uploaded on the apex court website, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant is slated to hear the plea.
“The alleged farmers and their farmer unions have blocked the national highway at the entry point of Punjab i.e. Shambu for more than one year and recently have blocked national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab at various locations October 24, 2024,” the plea said.
It claimed the blockage of highways was a threat to national security as the entire Army movement towards the northern borders of the country passes through Punjab.
“People of Punjab and neighbouring states are facing great difficulty as they are unable to reach hospitals on time in case of medical emergency, as even ambulances are being stopped from running on national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab,” the plea said.
It said free movement on highways comes under the fundamental right of the citizen, which is being violated by the farmers by blocking them in the entire state of Punjab.
“The state of Punjab is being targeted by the foreign, external and anti-national forces with the intention to use alleged farmers and farmer unions to de-stable Punjab as Punjab is the backbone of the entire country and has a history of facing many attacks from neighbouring countries,” the plea claimed.
PTI
