The Supreme Court said on Monday that there cannot be a “universal policy” on the right to protest, Bar and Bench reported. Referring to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi, the court reserved its judgement on the aspect of balance between the citizens’ right to protest and other rights of the public.
The petitioners had alleged that the protestors’ blocking of a road had been a huge inconvenience.
The protests ended earlier this year due to the lockdown imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Supreme Court was on Monday hearing a clutch of petitions seeking to have the protest sites cleared.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the petitions may not survive now, given that the protest at Shaheen Bagh was over. But barring one petitioner, none of the others agreed to withdraw their…