The Punjab and Haryana High Court has received a plea contesting the shutdown of borders and the suspension of internet services in multiple districts of Haryana in response to farmers’ unions preparing a protest march from Punjab to Delhi.
Uday Partap Singh, the petitioner, asked the court to stop all “obstructive” measures taken by the governments of Haryana, Punjab, and the Central government against the farmers’ protest, claiming that they violate fundamental rights and are “unconstitutional.” On Tuesday, a hearing regarding the matter is anticipated.
The case was brought up before the Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia’s bench today. He requested a response from the State and scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, February 13.
Panchkula resident and High Court advocate Uday Pratap Singh, the petitioner, contended that the matter concerned the illegal sealing of the border between Punjab and Haryana, specifically at Shambhu, close to Ambala.
Government has blocked borders and the internet to stop “Delhi Chalo”
The argument emphasised that the farmers’ planned February 13 “Delhi Chalo” march, which is being coordinated by multiple farmers’ unions to demand that their justifiable demands such as the passage of legislation ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops be accepted is an expression of their democratic right to peaceful protest.
The petitioner also voiced concerns regarding the measures implemented by the Haryana government, which included the discontinuation of bulk SMS and mobile internet services in a number of districts, including Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa.
The petition stated “In a country guided by the rule of law, actions taken by law enforcement authorities should be consistent with legal standards and respect fundamental rights and freedoms. Implementing obstacles such as layers of nails, reinforced concrete walls, electrification, and barbed wire fences may Such measures risk undermining the foundations of a democratic society governed by the rule of law, where respect for human rights and legal principles should prevail.”