Supreme Court admits petition on Gurjjar stir

Raising several questions, Singh8217;s counsel has sought to know whether agitators could disrupt public life. He submitted that the protestors have been defying the law of the land with impunity while the state Government is turning a 8216;Nelson8217;s eye8217; towards the sufferings of the other citizens.

Blaming the state Government and the administration for defying an earlier order of the Rajasthan High Court in September 2007 to maintain law and order under all circumstances, the petitioner has alleged that the state has adopted a dubious role.

During the month-long agitation the state Government has failed to maintain law and order situation and have not been able to reign in the violence by the Gurjjar community. Police stations have been attacked, railway tracks damaged, National Highways and other public property have been destroyed openly defying the authority of the state, the petitioner said.

8220;Can the agitators be allowed to affect normal life by disrupting exam schedules, damaging railway tracks on vital routes and blocking traffic on the National Highways virtually holding the State and its citizens to ransom in the name of their democratic rights?8221; Singh asked the court through his counsel Pallav Shishodia.

The petitioner has also pleaded before the court to scrutinise the judicial approach under such circumstances when the agitators are subjecting law-abiding citizens to unprecedented hardship and harassment. He also asked whether the judiciary is not duty bound to take remedial judicial steps to protect the citizens. Last year, the SC had described a similar agitation by Gurjjars 8212; that had left thousands stranded at railway stations and bus stops 8212; as a 8220;national shame8221; and had demanded an explanation from Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and UP Police.