PILs in Supreme Court seek probe, direction to media

A lawyer on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a judicial inquiry into the violence on Republic day in the national capital during a march by farmers protesting the Centre’s new farm laws. Another PIL urged the court to direct the media not to declare farmers as “terrorist” without evidence.

In his plea, Advocate Vishal Tiwari sought the setting up of a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and comprising two retired High Court judges to hold a time-bound investigation into the incidents. The plea also sought directions to the authorities concerned to register FIRs against individuals or organisations responsible for the violence and the protesters “causing the dishonour of our national flag” at Red Fort.

The other plea, by advocate M L Sharma, alleged a “planned conspiracy” to sabotage the farmers’ protest and claimed that they were branded “terrorist” with no evidence to back it.