The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a petition seeking directions to immediately clear the blockage of national and state highways in Punjab, where farmers have been protesting for almost a year to demand a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) among other issues.

The petition, filed by a Punjab-based activist, also sought directions to the Centre and state to remove restrictions on farmers’ protests and to ensure that national highways and railway tracks were not blocked by the agitating farmers for smooth public movement.

Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February this year after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

On Sunday, a delegation of 101 farmers suspended their march to the national capital from the Shambhu protest site after nine farmers were allegedly injured during clashes with law enforcement. The farm leaders will hold an internal meeting to decide the further course of action.

The plea, which will be heard by a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, further claimed that blocking highways was a threat to national security as "the entire Army movement towards the northern borders of the country passes through Punjab".

"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," it said, adding that free movement on highways comes under the fundamental right of the citizen, which is being violated by the farmers across the state.

In the wake of the farmers' renewed attempt to march towards Delhi, security has been heightened at the Punjab-Haryana border, with barricades and prohibitory orders under Section 163 (formerly Section 144) in place to prevent the gathering of more than five people.

Besides Shambhu, the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana has also been sealed under tight four-layered security, with 13 contingents deployed.

On December 6, farmers tried to move toward the national capital but suspended their bid after several protestors sustained injuries when security personnel fired tear gas shells at the border.

Source: India Today