Punjab and Haryana High Court asks government to report back after meeting with farmers

Certain status reports were submitted to the Court today in response to earlier directions. The Haryana government provided an affidavit stating that the farmers’ protests on national highways would have a negative impact on the movement of people, goods, and essential services. The government also expressed concerns about reports of tractors entering Delhi for a massive and prolonged protest, which could disrupt the law and order situation. Therefore, they requested the identification and prevention of individuals intending to enter Delhi for such purposes. In light of these concerns, Section 144, CrPC orders were imposed in 20 districts of Haryana. The government’s affidavit also referred to the protests held in 2020-21 against the now scrapped Farm Laws, which resulted in significant financial losses for the surrounding area of the National Capital Region. There were also concerns about protests turning violent and causing injuries to police personnel in certain districts of Haryana. The government identified six districts where peaceful protests could be held: Yamunanagar, Charkhi Dadri, Kurukshetra, Jhajjar, Panchkula, and Karnal. Similarly, it was proposed that the State of Punjab could designate areas for peaceful protests to avoid disruptions to the normal movement of people, goods, and services.

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