SC raps Centre over road blocks during protests, govt seeks to include farmer unions in petition

The Supreme Court has pulled up the Centre and state governments over the continued road blockades and congestion caused by protests, days after the Bharat Bandh organised by the farmers led to massive traffic issues on the Delhi-Haryana borders During a hearing on Thursday, Justice Kaul said it is the court's job to lay down the law, but the responsibility of implementing that law lies with the government. For one day, that's fine, but the highway cannot be blocked permanently.” On Monday, 40 farmer unions staged a Bharat Bandh from 6 am to 4 pm, which saw demonstrations and rallies at many places and led to severe traffic chaos at the Delhi borders with UP and Haryana. If you want to add some person as party to the petition, you move a proper application saying what have you done.” The Centre has asked the Supreme Court for permission to add the protesting farmers’ associations, including the Bharatiya Kisan Union as parties to the PIL seeking removal of blockades from the highways surrounding Delhi-NCR. The Union government has sought to bring the protesting farmer unions to the court to resolve the standoff that has left several arterial highways around Delhi blocked for months.