Occupying public places like Shaheen Bagh for protests not acceptable: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday while pronouncing its verdict on the Shaheen Bagh protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act said that the occupation of public places for demonstrations is not acceptable.

“Occupying public places like Shaheen Bagh for protests is not acceptable”, the Supreme Court was quoted by PTI, as saying.

The top court also questioned the Delhi Police’s role in removing the protesters. “Delhi Police ought to have taken action to clear Shaheen Bagh area,” a three-judge bench headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said. “Authorities have to act on their own and cannot hide behind courts,” it added.

The bench held that public places cannot be occupied indefinitely like during the Shaheen Bagh protests. 

“Democracy and dissent go hand in hand,” it said.

The apex court’s verdict came on a plea against the anti-CAA protests which had led to blocking of a road in Shaheen Bagh in the national capital last December.

The verdict came on a plea of lawyer Amit Sahni against the blockade of a road in Shaheen Bagh area by those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act .