(Bloomberg) -- India’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear petitions seeking the removal of demonstrators from a main thoroughfare in the capital New Delhi, where they’ve staged a 58-day sit-in to protest against the government’s religion-based citizenship law.
The petitioners say the protest, which is blocking a road, is causing civic inconvenience and traffic problems.
“You cannot block public road indefinitely. If everybody protests everywhere, what will happen?” Justice Sanjay K. Kaul said during the hearing on Monday, although the two-judge bench did not give any order today. Protests can happen in designated areas, Kaul observed.
Tensions have been high in New Delhi with at least three shooting attacks near the prominent protest site against the new law which seeks to grant citizenship to undocumented immigrants of all faiths from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan except Muslims. Thousands, especially students, have hit the streets since Parliament approved the law in December.
The court has sought submissions from the Delhi Police, state government and the federal government on the issue that will be heard again on Feb. 17.
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