India TV

'Mere agitation can't justify lathicharge': Supreme Court on police action against Jantar Mantar protesters

The Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed that the right to peaceful protest is a constitutional guarantee that cannot be curtailed, while indicating that it may frame a uniform protocol for peaceful demonstrations across the country. The top court observed that while citizens have every right to protest peacefully, authorities must also have a clear framework to deal with anti-social elements attempting to disrupt such gatherings. The observations came during the hearing of a batch of petitions alleging police excesses against students protesting over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and other irregularities in the education and examination system.