Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, on Monday firmly stated that the Apex Court will hear petitions filed against Delhi Police’s action on student groups (protesting against the newly implemented Citizenship Amendment Act), only when violence and destruction to public property completely stops.
The CJI said: “Let the rioting stop (first)”.
This came after Senior Advocate Indira Jaisingh, requested the court to take cognizance of the protests currently underway at the Jamia Millia Islamia and the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). She contended that: “It is a very serious human rights violation all over the country.”
However, the CJI declined an urgent hearing and said that: “Just because they happen to be students, it doesn’t mean they can take law and order in their hands, this has to be decided when things cool down. This is not the frame of mind when we can decide anything”.
He assured the petitioner that all their rights shall be considered once the rioting has stopped. In this regard, he said: “Let all of this stop and then we will take suo moto cognizance. We are not against rights and peaceful protests,” he added.
The court also came down firmly when Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves asked for a probe headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and said that: “We don’t want to see videos (when an advocate tells the court that videos are there). If violence and destruction of public property continues, we will not hear it”.
The matter will now be heard by the court on Tuesday, provided the rioting stops.
Earlier in the day, even the Delhi High Court declined an urgent hearing of the matter.
In protests against the passage of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, the protesters on Sunday had torched four buses belonging to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and set two police vehicles on fire. Other than the students, six cops and two firemen were also injured.