Anti-CAA road blockade case: There can't be universal policy on right to protest, says Supreme Court

There cannot be a “universal policy” on right to protest and possible curbs as also balancing it with acts like blocking of roads are needed because the situation may “vary” from case-to-case, the Supreme Court said on Monday.

The top court’s observation came while reserving the verdict on a batch of pleas against the anti-CAA protests which had led to blocking of a road in Shaheen Bagh in the national capital last December.

The situation normalized later due to COVID-19 pandemic fear and subsequent observance of protocol.

“There were some supervening circumstances which came into play and it was no one’s hand. God almighty itself intervened,” said a bench comprising Justices SK Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari.