Can’t ask troops to clear Manipur roads: Supreme Court | India News
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the Manipur government to take steps, including airdropping, to ensure supply of food and essential commodities to people affected by road blockades put up by two ethnic groups but refused to direct armed forces to remove these blockades.
The SC-appointed Justice Gita Mittal Committee, tasked to supervise relief and rehabilitation, through senior advocate Meenakshi Arora said road blockades have cut off food supply to Indo-Myanmar border town Moreh.
Supplementing her arguments, senior advocate Indira Jaising said, “There is severe food shortage in Moreh because of the road blockades. The committee has no power to direct the armed forces to lift the blockades. If the committee has the power, we will approach it.”
When solicitor general Tushar Mehta said it is not within the committee’s remit to deal with armed forces or road blockades, a bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala said, “The committee is not really dealing with armed forces. Assuming there is power with the court, removing a blockade is not about directing the armed forces to go in and remove road blockades. They must weigh the possible loss of human lives. These are sensitive issues… Lifting the blockade is easier said than done.”
The bench ordered, “We direct the Union and Manipur governments to ensure that basic supplies of foods, medicine and other essential items… How to deal with the blockades is for law enforcement agencies to decide.”
The SC-appointed Justice Gita Mittal Committee, tasked to supervise relief and rehabilitation, through senior advocate Meenakshi Arora said road blockades have cut off food supply to Indo-Myanmar border town Moreh.
Supplementing her arguments, senior advocate Indira Jaising said, “There is severe food shortage in Moreh because of the road blockades. The committee has no power to direct the armed forces to lift the blockades. If the committee has the power, we will approach it.”
When solicitor general Tushar Mehta said it is not within the committee’s remit to deal with armed forces or road blockades, a bench of CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala said, “The committee is not really dealing with armed forces. Assuming there is power with the court, removing a blockade is not about directing the armed forces to go in and remove road blockades. They must weigh the possible loss of human lives. These are sensitive issues… Lifting the blockade is easier said than done.”
The bench ordered, “We direct the Union and Manipur governments to ensure that basic supplies of foods, medicine and other essential items… How to deal with the blockades is for law enforcement agencies to decide.”
