Supreme Court refuses to issue blanket ban on imposition of NSA in Delhi

January 24: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea challenging the imposition of the National Security Act or NSA in few states and the national capital amid anti-CAA protests. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee said, “We are of the opinion that general writ will not lie in this case.”

Sharma’s plea said NSA has been imposed to curb and pressure people protesting against the CAA, National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC). This allows police to detain a person for 12 months without trial. The plea had sought a direction to quash the notification. It had also sought a direction that it be declared that the NSA cannot be used against protesters.

“We are of the opinion that general writ will not lie in this case,” a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee said while dismissing the plea filed by advocate ML Sharma.

The Court observed, “We cannot invoke powers under Article 32 [of the Constitution]. We agree that the NSA should not be misused but there cannot be a general command. This will create chaos.” The court granted Advocate M.L. Sharma’s request to withdraw the petition and file an amended one citing specific instances in which the National Security Act was applied against protesters.