Supreme Court Refuses To Entertain Plea Seeking Uniform Policy To Resolve Public Agitations

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain plea by Bharat Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti seeking directions for framing of guidelines and a uniform policy for resolution of public agitations through dialogue within a time framed manner to promote true and strong democracy.A three-judge Bench of CJI Bobde, Justice Bopanna and Justice Ramasubramanian has dismissed the plea filed which also sought equal Opportunity of dialogue from government for resolution of farmers' issues relating to forcible land acquisition.During the hearing today, the Bench stated that it was not inclined to entertain the case." We will not be entertaining this." the Bench stated.Advocate MC Dhingra appearing for the petitioner requested the Court to atleast consider the third prayer seeking formation of a High Powered Committee ."We have been peaceful in our demonstration." Mr Dhingra said."We aren't casting any aspersions. You remain peaceful. Dismissed." CJI Bobde said.The Apex Court, in its last hearing had directed a copy of the petition to be served upon the Attorney General for India as well as the Solicitor General of India .The present plea sought directions to government to provide equal opportunity of dialogue and of being heard along with formation of High Powered Committee to examine all its issuesThe plea contended that the grievances of the petitioners and farmers aggrieved by forceful acquisitions have not been considered thereby infringing their fundamental rights, as no dialogue has been initiated by the government regarding the petitioner's agitation relating to land acquisition.The plea compared the present issue with the ongoing Farmers agitation against the Three Farm laws, stating that while the government offered to form a High Powered Committee in the Farm Laws's agitation, the same has not been done in the case of petitioner's agitation in connection with agricultural sector.The plea further added that government has discriminated against them by not responding to their 'peaceful and Gandhian agitation' while conducting multiple rounds of meeting in other farmers' agitations.The plea stated that arbitrary and discriminatory treatment adopted by government in ignoring petitioner's peaceful agitation " Savidhan Satyagraha Andolan" and initiating dialogues with other aggressive protestors, the Government, has changed public perception to choose aggressive modes instead of Gandhian agitation, as government will not pay attention to peaceful agitationAccording to the plea, the petitioners and members of effected families have made serious efforts to seek dialogue with the government for a long time to solve their genuine problems relating to forcible land acquisition in contravention of statutory provisions.The petitioner further alleged that the public servants committed gross irregularities and mala fide actions in land acquisitions with an intent to cause wrongful loss to families affected from such acquisitions, but no appropriate action was taken against them by the government.The present plea had been filed by Advocate Gaurav Dhingra and drawn by Adv Ramesh Dalal in behalf of the petitioner.

Supreme Court Refuses To Entertain Plea Seeking Uniform Policy To Resolve Public Agitations

Srishti Ojha

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