Your right to protest shouldn't cause problem to others, mediators tell Shaheen Bagh protesters

Image courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: Supreme Court-appointed mediators Sanjay Hedge and Sadhana Ramachandran on Thursday (February 20) interacted with the protesters at Shaheen Bagh and told them that their right to protests was sacrosanct, but at the same time, the protest should not cause inconvenience to others.

"Supreme Court is looking into a fact in a broader sense that the Shaheen Bagh protest should be remembered as a peaceful one. I believe if we solve the issue mindfully and in a civilized manner. You continue with the right to protest but the protest should be held where it doesn`t cause any problem to other people," senior advocate Sanjay Hegde told the protesters.

Thousands of people have been staging a sit-in protest at Delhi`s Shaheen Bagh area since mid-December last year against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). They fear that the two laws in combination would deprive a large section of the Muslim population of their citizenship rights.

Speaking to the protesters, Sadhana Ramachandran said that the Citizenship Amendment Act has already become a law and its validity can be examined by the Supreme Court.

"We are here to think and talk mutually to resolve the matter. Yesterday, we got the blessings of Daadiya. We received a lot of love from sisters and daughters. If a country has such women, then no one can harm the country`s position.

"On the blocking of the road, a plea was filed. Sanjay and I want that Shaheen Bagh should remain forever. Your protest in Shaheen Bagh should not cause problems to the public. We are the citizens of this country and we should come to a conclusion mutually. We understand your pain and demands," Ramachandran said.

She added that people`s right to peaceful protest cannot be questioned and the protest should continue. She stated, "You need to understand the CAA and NRC matters have reached the Supreme Court. The CAA has already become an Act on which a lot of questions have been raised. In that case, no one can tell the result whether SC will accept your demands or not, but arguments will definitely take place."

She underlined that the mediators were trying their best to reach a solution and that the solution should emerge from the Shaheen Bagh area itself.

"There is not a problem which has does not have a solution," Hegde said. 

"We urged protestors to come up with creative solutions to the traffic situation, while simultaneously protecting their right to protest," Hegde said after meeting the protesters.

"We are happy that Delhi Police has cooperated with our suggestions and the usage of some roads may soon be restored, especially for commuters going towards Faridabad. We will continue to meet the protestors, hopefully in a more organised manner," he said.

The Supreme Court had on Monday appointed senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde and Sadhna Ramachandran and former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah to go and talk to protesters at Shaheen Bagh area to convince them to hold the agitation at an alternative site.

The apex court has fixed the matter for further hearing on February 24.