New Delhi: The Supreme Court today came down heavily on farmers’ groups protesting against the agricultural laws saying that protest has ‘strangulated the Delhi and blocked the highways”.

A division bench comprising Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and C.T. Ravikumar expressed displeasure against the farmers’ association blocking the city roads and highways. The bench expressed its displeasure while hearing a petition filed by Kisan Mahapanchayat seeking permission from the top court to hold a protest at Jantar Manta, the selected protest site in Delhi.

Petitioner’s seeking direction from the court to the authorities concerned to provide a space at least 200 farmers’ at Jantar Mantar for organizing the peaceful protest.

However bench has observed that "you have strangulated the entire city, now you want to come inside the city. The residents around, are they happy with the protest? This business should stop," a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar said.

The bench further observed that “the protesters were blocked the main roads in the city, it has affected the rights of the citizens and their properties have been damaged. Farmer’s protest has also affected the peaceful rights of the citizen in Delhi. Now you want to enter the city”, the bench remarked.

"We have not blocked highways. The police have detained us there," the lawyer representing the farmers' body informed the Supreme Court. While adjourning the petition, the court has directed the farmers’ group to file an affidavit saying they are not a part of the protest that is "blocking the national highways".

Farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders for over a year against the centre's three agricultural laws. Even after 11 rounds of talks, the government and farmers have not yet reached a conclusion on three farm laws, which the protesters say will leave at the mercy of corporates.