Resolve Issue Amicably

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday remarked on the farmers' protest that the issue should be resolved amicably and the use of force should be the last resort.

A bench of Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji was hearing two petitions around the farmers' protest around the borders of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. One of the petitions assailed the Haryana government's decision to block the roads preventing protesters from entering Delhi. The other petition argued that the farmers blocking the national highways affect the people and their daily operations.

The court noted that while the protesters have the fundamental right to expression, the state government is also duty-bound to protect its citizens and ensure no inconvenience is caused to them.

"There has to be balance in the fundamental right to speech and expression. None of the rights are in isolation. The cautionary should be kept in mind and the issue should be resolved amicably. All parties in the present dispute should make efforts to sit down and solve the problem and the area should be identified by states to protest," the bench observed.