The Karnataka High Court on Thursday voiced strong criticism towards the state government for allowing protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act while the issue is still pending before the Supreme Court.
Justice M Nagaprasanna highlighted the inappropriateness of permitting such demonstrations given the ongoing judicial review by the apex court. “The state shall bear in mind that the matter is seized by the apex court concerning the amendment to the Waqf Act, and a protest of this kind should not be permitted,” the judge remarked during the proceedings.
The directive from the court includes ensuring that public roads remain unobstructed by such events, insisting that protests should occur only at designated locations and with appropriate approvals. “If there is no permission, there is no protest,” Justice Nagaprasanna asserted firmly.
These judicial observations were made in response to a petition by Rajesh A, a resident of Mangaluru. The petition challenged a directive from the city’s Police Commissioner that instructed both private bus operators and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to halt services along a section of National Highway 73. This disruption was scheduled from noon to 9 PM on Friday to accommodate the protest.
The petitioner argued that the advisory unfairly disrupted public transport, leading to undue inconvenience. Representing the petitioner, advocates Hemanth R Rao and Leelesh Krishna presented the grievances before the court.
Responding to the court’s concerns, the state government clarified that the initial advisory had been revised to ensure the maintenance of normal traffic flow, although it advised heavy and medium commercial vehicles to consider alternative routes as a precautionary measure.
