PIL in apex court seeks directions to clear blockage of highways in state
Amid ongoing farmers’ agitation, a PIL in the Supreme Court has sought directions to the Centre and others to immediately clear the blockage of national and state highways in Punjab.
“The people of Punjab and neighbouring states are facing great difficulty as they are unable to reach hospitals on time in case of medical emergency, as even ambulances are being stopped from running on national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab,” the petition submitted.
“The state of Punjab is being targeted by the foreign, external and anti-national forces with the intention to use alleged farmers and farmer unions to de-stable Punjab as Punjab is the backbone of the entire country and has a history of facing many attacks from neighbouring countries,” it alleged.
The petition is likely to be taken up for hearing by a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant on Monday.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha activists have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The petition has also sought directions to the Centre and others to remove restrictions on the farmers’ protests and to ensure that national highways and railway tracks are not blocked by the agitating farmers. It accused farmer and farm unions of blocking the entire national and state highways in Punjab permanently and for an indefinite period.
“The alleged farmers and their farmer unions have blocked the national highway at the entry point of Punjab i.e. Shambhu for more than one year and recently blocked national and state highways in the entire state of Punjab at various locations on October 24, 2024,” it said.
The blockage of highways was a threat to national security as the entire Army movement towards the northern borders of the country passes through Punjab, it submitted.
Free movement on highways comes under the fundamental right of the citizen, which is being violated by the farmers by blocking them in the entire state of Punjab, it said.
