The Supreme Court on Friday warned that it could invoke its constitutional tort jurisdiction to award compensation if protests in Delhi disproportionately affect traders and daily-wage earners, expressing concern over the hardship faced by small businesses during the festive season.
“Someone wants to protest, someone wants to sell moongfali (peanuts), someone wants to maintain law and order. All are there before us. The assurance followed a petition by Anil Kumar Gupta, a street vendor at Palika Bazar, who apprehended that the gathering could lead to restrictions on roads, footpaths and Metro station entrances, affecting his business and the livelihoods of other vendors.
He claimed that disruption around Connaught Place was causing losses of more than ₹ 250 crore a day. It can wait till October 26.
The court hoped that “better sense will prevail” and that the competing interests of protesters, traders and authorities would be balanced. The observations came a day after the Delhi High Court recorded an assurance from Delhi Police that it would take “all possible measures under the law” to regulate the proposed gathering and address concerns over disruption to business and movement around Connaught Place. Dehadrai told the Supreme Court that the protest could cause substantial losses to traders, particularly during the festive season, when businesses depend on higher sales for a significant share of their annual earnings. Initially indicating that the matter would not be taken up immediately, CJI Kant said, “This is also related to protest. When counsel insisted that the Supreme Court plea raised distinct concerns, the judge said the competing claims of protesters, traders and law enforcement agencies had to be considered together. We can hear it after a week,” he said.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made the observations while hearing a plea raising concerns over the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) call for a gathering at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday evening. Justice Bagchi pointed out that the Delhi High Court had heard a similar petition on Thursday. In its order on Thursday, the Delhi High Court recorded an assurance from Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma that police had taken steps to regulate CJP activities and would take all possible measures under the law.
