Questioning the authority of Haryana government over blocking the Shambhu border near Ambala, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the state government to clear the barricading where farmers have been camping since February 13. The Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February after the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced that farmers would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan observed after the Haryana government counsel said the state is in the process of filing an appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's July 10 order which had directed it to open the highway within seven days.
"How can a State block a highway? It must regulate traffic. We are saying open it but regulate," Justice Bhuyan said after the counsel informed the bench about filing of the appeal in the apex court. Justice Kant told the state's counsel, "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."
Farmer Shubhkaran Singh, 21, a native of Bathinda, was killed and several police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21. The incident occurred when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades erected at the border and were stopped by the security personnel from marching to Delhi. On July 10, the high court ordered the Haryana government to clear within a week the barricading at the Shambhu border.
