New Delhi, July 12: The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Haryana government to remove the barricading at the Shambhu border near Ambala, where farmers have been camping since February 13.
A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned authorities of the Haryana government to block the highway.
"How can a State block a highway? It has a duty to regulate traffic. We are saying open it but regulate," said the bench to the counsel appearing for the Haryana government.
The observation of the bench came after the counsel said the Haryana government is in the process of filing an appeal against the July 10 Punjab and Haryana High Court order which had directed it to open the highway within seven days.
"Why do you want to challenge the High Court's order? Farmers are also citizens of this country. Give them food and good medical care. They will come, raise slogans and go back. I think you don't commute by road," said the bench.
On July 10, the High Court ordered the Haryana government to clear within a week the barricading at the Shambhu border.
In February, the Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway after the farmers' bodies announced that they would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.
