Ensure Covid norms are followed during stir: HC

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab and Haryana high court asked the Punjab government to ensure that the Centre’s guidelines as part of Unlock 4.0 are followed in the state during the farmers’ protest on Tuesday.

The HC bench of justices S Muralidhar and Avneesh Jhingan was responding to a plea of a Patiala resident against the proposed farmers’ protest scheduled for Tuesday in Punjab.

The petitioner, Mohit Kapoor, a Patiala resident, approached court stating that the All India Kisan Majdoor Sangharsh Committee, a body of around 250 farmer associations, has announced protests in different parts of state to express their opposition against farm ordinance by Centre.

“In a situation of an unprecedented challenge in the Covid-19 pandemic and with the entire state machinery having been deployed to meet that challenge, if the proposed protest, which might bring in more than 2 lakh people, is allowed to take place, it will throw the entire administration out of gear,” senior advocate Puneet Bali appearing for the petitioner had told the court.

The bench while issuing notice to different parties directed that directions given by court in the past to farmers’ bodies intending to stage any protest would abide by the guidelines issued from time to time. Taking note of guidelines issued by the Centre banning gatherings, the court reiterated that these guidelines would also be implemented by the state.