On 17 February, while hearing a plea against the blockade at Shaheen Bagh, the honorable apex court appointed senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and advocate Sadhana Ramachandran to mediate with the protesters and pursue them to move their protest to an alternative site where no public place is blocked.

Advocate Amit Sahni has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Delhi Police to ensure smooth traffic flow on the Kalindi Kunj- Shaheen Bagh stretch, which was blocked by the anti-CAA protesters.

Subsequently, the apex court stated that people have a fundamental right to protest against the law but the blocking of public roads is a matter of concern and there has to be a balancing factor. Thus, the court directed to appoint senior advocate Sanjay Hegde and advocate Sadhana Ramachandran to speak with those at the site and to persuade the protesters to move to another venue.

Meanwhile, the protestors at the site welcomed the SC’s move to appoint interlocutors and stated that they finally have an avenue to talk to the government about their dissent.

Hundreds of people, especially women, have been protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Shaheen Bagh for over two months, blocking an arterial road due to which the city has been facing traffic congestions.