Delhi HC Allows Farmers’ Association to Resubmit Request for Protest on Cauvery Water Release

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted permission to a farmers’ association to submit a new representation to the city police, requesting authorization for a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar.

The demonstration aims to raise various issues, including the demand for Karnataka to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

An earlier representation by the petitioner association had been rejected by authorities, as conveyed by the Delhi government’s counsel to a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula.

The court then disposed the petition filed by P Ayyakannu, the Tamil Nadu unit president of the National South Indian River Interlinking Farmers’ Association, seeking approval for the Jantar Mantar demonstration.

The Delhi government’s standing counsel, also representing the deputy commissioner of police, informed the court about the issuance of a standing order in 2022, which provides guidelines for authorizing or denying demonstrations or protests near Central Vista, including Jantar Mantar. Several factors, such as time constraints, must be considered before granting or refusing permission.

The court stated, “Considering the standing order of 2022, the petitioner is free to file a fresh representation… and if preferred, it will be dealt with following the standing order.”

The petition, filed through advocate S Mahendran, outlined that the representation was initially sent to the relevant authorities to seek permission for a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar, a designated location for such activities.

Additionally, the petitioner had requested approval for conducting the demonstration at alternative sites, preferably before the Cauvery Management Commission in New Delhi. The purpose of the demonstration was to “demand the release of water by the state of Karnataka, which has deliberately not released the water to Tamil Nadu” in line with directives from the Supreme Court.