New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear the pleas seeking removal of anti-CAA protesters from Shaheen Bagh on February 10, after the Delhi Assembly elections as it did not want to "influence" the polls.
"We understand there is a problem and we have to see how to resolve it. We will take it up on Monday. We will be in a better position by then," said a bench comprising justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph.
When an advocate representing one of the petitioners said voting for Delhi Assembly polls is scheduled on February 8, the bench noted: "That is exactly why we are saying come on Monday. Why should we influence it?"
Advocate Amit Sahni, who has filed an appeal in the Apex Court against the January 14 order of the high court directing the police to deal with the situation keeping in mind law and order, said that due to the protests since December 15 last year traffic flow on Kalindi Kunj-Shaheen Bagh stretch has been badly affected.
When the bench said it would hear the matter on February 10, advocate Shashank Deo Sudhi, appearing for petitioner and former Delhi MLA Nand Kishore Garg said voting for Delhi Assembly elections would be held on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Apex Court on Friday took cognisance on its own to "stop involvement of children and infants in demonstrations" following the death of an infant on January 30 at Shaheen Bagh. The top court website showed that the issue would be taken up for hearing on February 10 by a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde.
The matter assumes importance as a letter was recently written by a 12-year-old National Bravery Award winner to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) seeking directions to prevent children from participating in demonstrations as it "amounts to cruelty".