Supreme Court asks Haryana to open Shambhu border blockade
Jul 12, 2024
New Delhi [India], July 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Haryana government to remove the barricading at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where farmers have been camping since February 13.
A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned authorities of the Haryana government to block the highway.
"How can a State block a highway? It has a duty to regulate traffic. We are saying open it but regulate," said the bench to the counsel appearing for the Haryana government.
The observation of the bench came after the counsel said the Haryana government is in the process of filing an appeal against the July 10 Punjab and Haryana High Court order which had directed it to open the highway within seven days.
"Why do you want to challenge the High Court's order? Farmers are also citizens of this country. Give them food and good medical care. They will come, raise slogans and go back. I think you don't commute by road," said the bench.
On July 10, the High Court ordered the Haryana government to clear within a week the barricading at the Shambhu border.
In February, the Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway after the farmers' bodies announced that they would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
The apex court was hearing a plea of the Haryana government challenging a March 7 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to set up a committee to probe into the death of a 22-year-old farmer Shubhkaran Singh during the agitation of farmers at the Punjab-Haryana border.
The Supreme Court on April 1 had declined to stay the judicial probe ordered by the High Court.
Singh, a native of Bathinda in Punjab, lost his life on February 21 during clashes between security personnel and the farmers at the Khanauri border.
The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades and were stopped by security personnel from crossing the State border and marching to Delhi.
The High Court had formed the Committee headed by retired High Court judge Jaishree Thakur to inquire into the various aspects of the case, saying the investigation regarding the death of Singh, cannot be entrusted solely either to Punjab or to Haryana for "reasons obvious as both states have several things to cover up".
The committee was assisted by Punjab Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Promod Ban and Haryana ADGP Amitabh Singh Dhillon.
