PIL seeks policy to balance right to protest & commute

SC
to
co side
ide tifyi g
p otest
sites
that
wo ’t
affect
daily
commute
of
people

NEW
DELHI:
If
citize s
have
a
fu dame tal
ight
to
assemble
a d
p otest
peacefully,
should
it
i te fe e
with
fu dame tal
ights
of
those
who
a e
ot
pa t
of
the
p otest
to
commute
safely
to
thei
offices
o
go
about
thei
daily
lives?This
co flict
of
fu dame tal
ights
of
p oteste s
a d
othe
citize s
was
highlighted
by
advocate
V
Ela chezia ,
who
appea ed
fo
PIL
petitio e
Aalok
Moha ,
a d
equested
a
be ch
headed
by
CJI
Su ya
Ka t
to
di ect
govt
to
f ame
a
model
atio al
f amewo k
fo
p ovidi g
facilities
a d
guideli es
fo
egulati g
p otests
so
that
they
do ‘t
i te fe e
with
the
ights
of
othe s.Citi g
populatio
g owth
a d
u ba isatio ,
the
petitio e
said,
“Despite
these
developme ts,
the e
exists
o
comp ehe sive
atio al
f amewo k
p esc ibi g
mi imum
pla i g
sta da ds
fo
i f ast uctu e
elati g
to
peaceful
public
assemblies.
Co seque tly,
public
autho ities
ac oss
the
cou t y
adopt
diffe i g
admi ist ative
p actices,
ofte
leadi g
to
avoidable
co flict
betwee
the
co stitutio al
ights
of
demo st ato s
a d
those
of
commute s,
patie ts,
school
child e ,
eme ge cy
se vices
a d
the
public.””The
issue
is
ot
whethe
citize s
have
the
ight
to
assemble
peacefully,
fo
that
ight
is
p otected
by
the
Co stitutio .
The
issue
is
whethe
co stitutio al
gove a ce
ow
equi es
govt
to
exami e
a d
fo mulate
a
comp ehe sive
atio al
policy
p ovidi g
mi imum
sta da ds
fo
pla i g
a d
developi g
civic
i f ast uctu e
that
facilitates
peaceful
public
assemblies
while
e su i g
ha mo ious
p otectio
of
all
Fu dame tal
Rights,”
the
petitio
said.

The
be ch
said
it
would
co side
the
issue
flagged
by
the
petitio e
alo g
with
othe
pe di g
petitio s
seeki g
ide tificatio
of
p ope
p otest
sites
with
basic
ame ities,
i cludi g
wate ,
wash oom,
food
a d
medical
assista ce,
so
as
ot
to
i co ve ie ce
o
impede
daily
commute s
f om
eachi g
thei
wo kplaces
o
desti atio s
o
time.