The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre’s response to petitions by traders, vendors and lawyers seeking enforcement of existing standard operating procedures for regulating protests in the national capital, after petitioners claimed that barricading and demonstrations had caused business losses of up to Rs 2,000 crore.
A bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma asked counsel representing the Centre and Delhi Police to seek instructions before the matter is listed for hearing on Friday. The court also directed the petitioners to place on record copies of petitions concerning protests filed before the Supreme Court.
The bench said it did not want to cover an area that was already sub judice before the Supreme Court. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for the government, told the court that the petitions before the top court had been adjourned to October 15.
The petitioners’ lawyers argued that the Supreme Court had issued several directions on regulating protests and that those directions should be complied with in Delhi. Their plea seeks adherence to the governing protest-related SOPs, amid complaints that barricades and large demonstrations have restricted access to commercial areas.
Counsel appearing for the traders said the disruption had come during the period from October to February, which they described as the best time of the year for business because of the festive season. The petitioners claimed that the impact had been particularly severe in central Delhi, where movement restrictions had affected access to markets and commercial establishments.
One lawyer told the court that hundreds of people had recently held a protest in central Delhi, bringing activity in the area to a halt. The counsel also claimed that Connaught Place had become difficult for people to approach because of barricading and the way protests were being conducted.
The case places the administration’s handling of public demonstrations alongside the operational needs of commercial districts, where access for customers, workers, vendors and deliveries can be affected by security arrangements. The petitioners have asked the court to ensure that existing norms are followed rather than allowing protest-related restrictions to disrupt public movement and business activity.
The Centre and police are expected to provide their instructions before the next listing on Friday. The High Court will also consider the relationship between the petitions before it and the related proceedings pending in the Supreme Court, which the government said are scheduled for consideration on October 15.
