Protesting Farmers Increasing Risk of Spread of COVID-19: Plea in SC

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking immediate removal of Protesting Farmers, who are protesting against the recently passed Farm Acts, from the Delhi-NCR borders as the protest is posing hurdles for accessing emergency medical services needed to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to attend to patients in need of medical attention.

The petition filed by advocate Om Prakash Parihar states that it is “necessary to remove the gathering” of Protesting Farmers. The plea further states that life of lakh of people protesting at Delhi borders is at immediate threat “since the virus is very contagious and if by chance this coronavirus disease takes the shape of community spread, it will cause a havoc in the country.”

The plea demands that protesters be shifted to some other place and the Delhi borders, which have been blocked due to the protests, be reopened.

 It further states that social distancing and mask wearing protocol must be implemented among the protest groups.

“Though the Police has allotted a dedicated place for the protestors to protest peacefully, but the protestors are not shifting/moving to the allotted place and in order to create trouble for the commuters they have blocked the borders. Furthermore, owing to their large number of protestors, the police is not able to control such a large gathering,” the petition states.

Parihar states that roads have been blocked by the protesting farmers “which has affected vehicular traffic and people who are travelling to and from Delhi to get medical treatment in reputed government/private hospitals situated in Delhi are also affected.”