New Delhi, (Samajweekly) A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to the NIA to conduct a court-monitored investigation against the anti-social elements, part of the farmers’ tractor rally, who engaged in violence on the streets of national capital on Republic Day.
The plea, filed through advocates Shashank Shekhar Jha and Manju Jetley Sharma, said the attack on the Red Fort and the national flag on the Republic Day needs immediate attention.
“The protesters cannot be allowed to put the government and people at ransom and undertake violence in the name of protest. The freedom of expression and protest cannot be absolute and must consider the rights of others,” it said.
The petition also sought directions for setting up a commission headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a Special Investigation Team, which should be monitored by the top court.
Earlier, a petition was filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari urging the top court to issue directions to register FIR against persons or organisation responsible for dishonouring of the national flag.
“Unfortunately, the tractor march took a violent turn leaving injuries and destruction of public property. This incident also effected the daily life of the public. Internet services were interrupted as government ordered the operators to suspend the same,” the plea said.
On the day of the incident, a Mumbai-based law student had also written to Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde to take suo moto cognizance in an incident at Red Fort. So far, nearly five pleas have been filed in the top court seeking action against people who indulged in violence on Republic Day.
On Tuesday, protesting farmers swarmed into the Red Fort in the capital during a ‘tractor rally’ on the Republic Day even as police tried to prevent them from driving towards central Delhi. The farmers barged into the 17th century monument, climbed up its ramparts and waved farmer union flags and banners and even hoisted a pennant.
Police and other security personnel deployed at the Red Fort were seen baton charging the protesters even as they were clearly outnumbered by the farmers. A few youths climbed up the flagpole on the ramparts of the fort and put up a saffron pennant with a religious symbol. Later, a few of them even climbed up further and fixed a farmer union flag near the spot where a bigger tricolour was aflutter.
