HC issues notice to Punjab over plea seeking removal of morcha protesters from Mohali border

The Arrive Safe Society of Chandigarh, through its president Harman Singh Sidhu, filed the petition against the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the state of Punjab. The petitioner has contended that local residents and commuters are facing unnecessary harassment because of the protest/morcha that has been ongoing since January 2023.

The petitioner has sought directions through counsel Advocate Ravi Gupta to protect the life, liberty, and property of the public in and around the area of the protest/morcha in the state of Punjab. The petitioner argues that protesters, supporters, and workers may indulge in lawlessness, causing a threat to the public without any consideration for public health, public morality, public peace. Additionally, the protesters may cause traffic chaos resulting in road accidents and violate the right to free movement of the citizens of India.

The petitioner also states that members of several Sikh bodies and others support the demands of the morcha. The protesters have been seeking the release of Sikh prisoners, including Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the former Punjab CM Beant Singh’s assassination, and Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, a 1993 Delhi bomb blast convict.