The Supreme Court on Wednesday highlighted the importance of dialogue and restraint while dealing with student protests, observing that listening to the concerns of young demonstrators is the most effective way to prevent violence from escalating.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, made the remarks while hearing a plea seeking action against the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over its alleged role in violence during recent protests in Delhi and other parts of the country.
"In a democracy, during peaceful marches, forces also should exercise restraint. The biggest powerful source is listening — listening to what they are saying and why they are agitating," the Bench observed. It added that while incidents such as stone-pelting cannot be condoned, any response by the authorities should be measured and should not aggravate the situation.
The court said maintaining law and order remains the responsibility of law enforcement agencies and expressed confidence that they would deal with the situation appropriately. It also noted that it was open to hearing all viewpoints, including dissenting opinions.
The petitioner's counsel argued that organisers of the protests had fuelled unrest and should be held accountable for violence, alleging that the demonstrations had created widespread disorder. He further contended that the CJP was not a registered organisation and lacked permission to march towards Parliament, raising concerns over security and public safety.
The court, however, maintained that authorities must strike a balance between enforcing the law and protecting democratic rights. While reiterating that offenders involved in violence should face legal action, it stressed that excessive force could worsen tensions.
The Bench directed that the petition be tagged with the batch of pending cases related to violence during student protests, and said the matter would be heard together on the next date.
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