The Delhi high court on Monday agreed to hear on Tuesday a petition challenging the closure of Jantar Mantar as a protest site and the government’s failure to designate an alternative venue for demonstrations, amid protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The lawyer appearing in the Jantar Mantar matter urged the court to take up the plea on Monday, arguing that no designated site was available for peaceful protests and that Jantar Mantar had also been closed for demonstrations. A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma also agreed to hear a petition filed by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), seeking a probe into the alleged assault on members of the public by anti-social elements during a protest demanding Kumar’s resignation on October 10.
The petitions were mentioned before the court by counsel representing the respective parties.
However, the court said both matters would be heard on Tuesday. Thus, let’s hear it tomorrow,” the bench observed. Concerning the petition concerning the closure of Jantar Mantar, the bench observed that the Supreme Court was already seized of the issue. “Please try to understand. The Supreme Court is seized of the matter. The Supreme Court has called upon the Union to file affidavits. Once the Supreme Court is looking into it, to what extent can we look into it?
Meanwhile, counsel for the NSUI also mentioned the organisation’s plea seeking an investigation into the alleged assault by anti social elements saying that some on the protest carried out on October 10, some outsiders entered the protest site and harassed people with lathis.
