‘Open Shambhu border, regulate traffic,’ Supreme Court directs Haryana government
PTC News Desk: In a biting comment, the Supreme Court on Friday asked Haryana how any state government could “block a highway” and ordered the government to open the closed Shambhu border and control traffic.
How is a state able to close a highway? Its responsibility is to control traffic. The Haryana government’s attorney was questioned by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, “We are saying open it but regulate (movement of vehicles).”
The bench of Justices Bhuyan and Kant made the observation after learning from the counsel that Haryana was planning to petition the Supreme Court to overturn the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s July 10 ruling, which ordered the state to restore traffic at Shambhu within seven days.
Since several farmer organisations from Punjab started advancing towards Delhi on February 13 in favour of numerous demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops, the border between Punjab and Haryana has been extensively barricaded and closed.
But after fighting with central security personnel and the Haryana Police, farmers were unable to cross the border and have been camped there ever since.
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The farmers, meanwhile, expressed their gratitude for the Supreme Court’s decision and said they will continue their march toward the nation’s capital.
“It is now evident that thousands of people, including ourselves, were inconvenienced by Haryana’s blocking of the national route. Following the removal of barricades as directed by the high court, we will convene on July 16th, according to Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM)’s Ramandeep Singh Mann claims that the “Delhi Chalo” call was never canceled.
Mann stated, “We will ask the relevant authorities to designate a venue in Delhi so we can protest peacefully.”