Punjab and Haryana High Court: state must act if protest turns violent

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that while peaceful protest is a fundamental right, authorities are duty-bound to take preventive and remedial measures if a protest turns violent or threatens public safety. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor made the observation while hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Vivek Singla.

Singla's counsel, senior advocate R.S. Khosla, argued that protests by Quami Insaf Morcha often cause law and order problems and hardship to the public. The court impleaded the Haryana home secretary as a respondent. Senior standing counsel for Chandigarh, the senior deputy advocate general for Punjab, and the additional advocate general for Haryana assured the court that authorities were aware of the threat and would deploy adequate police.

The court directed Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh to file status reports. The next hearing is on August 20, 2026.