Plea before Punjab and Haryana High Court to restrain police from cancelling visas, passports of protesting farmers

A plea has been filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions to the Ambala Police in Haryana to refrain from initiating the cancellation of passports and visas of farmers who have been protesting for enactment of a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for various crops..The plea was filed as by advocate Uday Pratap Singh as part of the pending pleas concerning farmers' protest. He said that on February 28, 2024, an announcement was made by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ambala regarding the initiation of passport and visa cancellations of protesting farmers.It is deeply concerning that the Ambala Police is reportedly taking unilateral actions without proper legal procedures and due process, the plea said.."Furthermore, the revelation that the police are directly coordinating with embassies of foreign countries to cancel the visas of protesting farmers, bypassing the Ministry of External Affairs, raises serious questions about the legality and propriety of such actions," it was submitted.The plea argued that right to peaceful protest is fundamental in a democratic society and any effort to suppress or intimidate individuals exercising this right is not only unconstitutional but also undermines the essence of democracy.Further, such an action also goes against Section 10 of the Passport Act which prescribes the conditions subject to which the passport authority can impound of revoke passport of a person, the plea claimed..The actions of the Ambala Police in cancelling the passports and visas without adhering to the provisions of Section 10 of the Passport Act raise serious legal concerns and warrant immediate judicial intervention, the plea contended.The petitioner has thus prayed for the following reliefs:- Direction commanding the Ambala Police to refrain from initiating the cancellation of passports and visas of farmers involved in peaceful protests without proper legal procedures and due process ii. - Direct the Ambala Police to cease all coordination with embassies of foreign countries to cancel the visas of protesting farmers, and to ensure that any such actions are carried out by the law and with full adherence to the provisions of the Passport Act, 1967. - Direct the Haryana Police to immediately cease the use of buckshot pellet guns during crowd control operations, in compliance with the prohibition stipulated in the Punjab Police Rules of 1934.