The Supreme Court reiterates that peaceful protest is a constitutional right and holds that police action cannot be justified solely because an agitation is ongoing. In remarks connected to the Jantar Mantar protest, the Court says a lathi charge is not automatically lawful and that alleged police excesses must be inquired into. The Court also indicates that police should follow pan-India guidelines governing how force is used and how protests are handled, emphasizing restraint and lawful procedures.
While the reports focus on the Court’s general principles, the core thrust across the sources is the same: the right to protest is protected under the Constitution, and police cannot treat protests as sufficient grounds for escalation. The Court’s direction to investigate excesses points to scrutiny of how officers respond in protest settings, including whether force was used appropriately and proportionately. The Court’s signaling of broader guidelines suggests uniform expectations for police behaviour across states, rather than case-by-case discretion alone.
