Shaheen Bagh: The 4-month-old's right to life and his human rights were violated, a 12-year-old said.
Highlights
- Infant taken to Delhi anti-CAA protest by his parents almost every day
- The baby died on January 30 due to severe cold and congestion
- 12-year-old National Bravery Award Winner wrote to CJI about baby's death
The Supreme Court has issued notices to the centre and the Delhi government over the death of a four-month-old at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh where the longest protest against the citizenship law CAA has been going on.
"Can a four-month-old child go for the protest?" the Supreme Court asked, coming down heavily on the lawyers who say they are appearing for mothers of children sitting in protest at Shaheen Bagh.
A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, took note of the incident after a 12-year-old National Bravery Award Winner wrote to Chief Justice Bobde over the baby's death. In her letter, Zen Gunratan Sadavarte sought probe into the infant's death.
Four-month-old Mohammad Jahan was taken to the protest site at Shaheen Bagh by his parents almost every day. He died of severe cold and congestion on Januray 30 after being exposed to the bitter cold.
Today, the group of lawyers speaking for the Shaheen Bagh protesters contended before the top court that even Greta Thunberg was a child when she became a protester, and raised concerns on children from the area being called "Pakistani" in schools.
The Chief Justice told the one of the lawyers not to make "irrelevant arguments". "If someone makes irrelevant arguments, we will stop. This is court. We have the highest respect for motherhood," the top court said.
Ms Sadavarte, a Class 7 student from Mumbai, received the National Bravery Award on Republic Day this year. She had helped save several lives when fire broke out at an apartment in the city in August, 2018.
Ms Sadavarte has also sought action against organisers of the Shaheen Bagh protest, blaming them for the infant's death and violation of child rights and natural justice.
Hundreds of men, women and children have been protesting at Shaheen Bagh for over a month against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which makes religion a test of citizenship and which critics say discriminates against Muslim.
(With inputs from IANS)