Taking a serious view of the recent Jat agitation and the agitation resorted to by Hardik Patel in Gujarat demanding quota for Patel community, the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that people cannot destroy public properties and hold everything to ransom to get their demands fulfilled.
A bench of Justices J.S. Khehar and C. Nagappan said: “We must take a call on the issue and we would frame guidelines for taking action against people for damaging properties in agitation. We cannot allow people to burn the nation’s properties and take the country to ransom in the name of agitation Whether it is political party like the BJP, Congress or any people, they must realise that public properties can’t be destroyed in agitation.”
Hardik is facing a series of cases, including those for alleged sedition, and has been in jail since his arrest in October last year. He is one of the accused in an FIR filed on July 23, when a rally of Patel community seeking reservation turned violent, resulting in damage to property and assault on some mediapersons. The bench is hearing an appeal against slapping of sedition charges.
The Gujarat police in January filed a chargesheet in a Surat court against 22-year-old Hardik Patel describing the quota agitation spearheaded by Patel as a “pre-planned conspiracy” that was hatched to put pressure on the state government to accept their “unconstitutional demand of quota.
Attorney General Mukul rohatgi, appearing for Gujarat informed the court that the sessions court in Ahmedabad is hearing the bail plea of Hardik and nothing survives in the present appeal. The bench, however, said it will take up on Thursday issues relating to destruction of public properties during such agitations.
