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Supreme Court red flags violent protests
Violence begets violence. And in India, during violent agitations, like the recent Jat and Kapu quota protests, public property and life are always at peril. Despite efforts of the security forces and the government, the resultant damage notches up. It is then that the judiciary feels it necessary to step in. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court said that such violent actions must be countered and the
AGITATORS MUST PAY FOR DAMAGING PUBLIC PROPERTY
New Delhi: Violence begets violence. And in India, during violent agitations, like the recent Jat and Kapu quota protests, public property and life are always at peril. Despite efforts of the security forces and the government, the resultant damage notches up. It is then that the judiciary feels it necessary to step in. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court said that such violent actions must be countered and the country cannot be held to ransom.
The apex court, while hearing a plea by the Gujarat Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel, wondered where the country was heading. The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar and Justice C Nagappan underlined that those involved in destruction of public property would not escape the consequences of their actions. "What is happening? Where is our country (headed for). One cannot burn the country's property.
You can agitate peacefully. But what is this?... burning and ransacking," the court said. The court's strong observation came in the course of the hearing of a plea filed by Gujarat PAAS leader Hardik Patel, seeking the quashing of sedition charges invoked against him by the Gujarat police. Saying that people and political parties must pay for damaging public property, the bench said, "We must take a call on the issue and frame guidelines."
The court said it would address the larger issue after Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the court that petitioner Hardik Patel had sought the quashing of the FIR accusing him of sedition. He said now the charge sheet has been filed before the trial court and the same could not be tested by the top court. The court was also told Hardik Patel's plea for bail was still pending before the sessions court and it (apex court) should hold back the plea for bail till it was decided.
