The Supreme Court on Friday has asked the Haryana government how it can block a highway and directed it to remove the barricading set up at the Shambhu border near Ambala where farmers have been camping since February 13.
The Haryana government set up barricades at the Ambala-New Delhi national highway in February when Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced to move towards Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan made the observation after counsel for Haryana government stated that the state is in the process of filing an appeal against the high court’s July 10 order which directed it to open the highway within seven days.
Justice Bhuyan stated that after the counsel informed the bench about filing of appeal in the apex court, “How can a State block a highway? It has a duty to regulate traffic. We are saying open it but regulate.”
