India: Supreme Court dismisses plea against blocking of highways by farmers

India's Supreme Court on Monday (Dec 9) dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the blocking of highways by farmers in Punjab, ensuring a clear passage for travellers.

Citing repetition as the issue, a bench of Justices stated that a similar petition was pending before the court.

"Why are you filing repetitive petitions? We are already examining the larger issue. We have taken some initiatives already and despite that, you come here. Don't file repetitive petitions. Some are filing for publicity interest and some are filing to play to the gallery. We cannot entertain repetitive petitions on the same issue," the bench said.

Gaurav Luthra, a social activist from Punjab, approached the court seeking direction on the issue of blockage of National as well as State Highways in Punjab which he claimed were "encroached and blocked illegally by alleged farmers and farmer unions".

This comes after a skirmish between police and farmers at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border as they again took to the streets and made attempts to march towards Delhi.

The police had beefed up security to stop the "Delhi Chalo" march organised by the farmer groups pressing for various benefits, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

The Haryana Police said that the farmers who were trying to march ahead did not match the list provided to them of the farmers who were supposed to take part in the march scheduled for Sunday.

"We will first identify them (farmers), and then we can allow them to go ahead. We have a list of the names of 101 farmers, and they are not those people—they are not letting us identify them—they are moving ahead as a mob," said a Haryana Police official deployed at the site.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, "The 'Jattha' of our 101 farmers and labourers has reached. We have already issued the list, if they (the police) have decided that they will check the IDs first before allowing us to move, they should tell us we will cooperate with that. We have shown the discipline and will continue to be so... They are using more tear gas today, as the wind direction is towards us. We are ready for any kind of sacrifice... It's the PM who has the solution for our problems, either he does it or let us march to Delhi."

(With inputs from agencies)