New Delhi: Punjab and Haryana High Courts have opened the Delhi-Chandighar highway for the free flow of traffic without any barriers so that the public does not face any difficulties. The action was taken to prevent the blockage created by protesters on the highway.
The Delhi-Chadighar highway is important as it connects the length and breadth of the country, and that’s the reason the high court issued the notice on Tuesday to Haryana and other witnesses.
Comprising Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul and Manisha Batra, the court’s bench instructed to implement the order immediately and said, “This direction shall be given effect forthwith, without any further delay. However, at the same time, it is made clear that the administration shall exercise utmost restraint and would use force to disperse the mob collected at the spot, only as a last resort.”
The bench was hearing a plea filed against Haryana and other respondents by Randeep Tanwar, who was seeking orders to prevent a “mob of people from gathering on the National Highway-44 at the behest of respondents, which included the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU).”
Fixing the matter for the next hearing on June 13, the Bench instructed the Chief Secretary of Haryana to submit a report in September 2022 on efforts taken in response to the High Court’s directives. It also requested an update on the situation.
Surprisingly, the High Court’s direction on Tuesday coincided with a considerable number of farmers congregating on the National Highway-44 near Kurukshetra, protesting the Haryana government’s refusal to buy their sunflower seeds at the minimum support price (MSP).
Police later used batons to break up the blockage. The police also deployed water cannons to disperse the crowd.
The petitioner exhibited a video clip of news channels showing farmer protests led by the BKU in the High Court.
