The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to clarify whether adequate safeguards and Covid-19 protocols were being followed by the farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders and feared that “problems” similar to those that arose during the Tablighi Jamaat event last year could recur.

“You must tell us what is happening. I don’t know if farmers are protected from Covid,” Chief Justice S.A. Bobde told solicitor-general Tushar Mehta during the hearing into an appeal for a CBI probe into the allegedly illegal Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi during the Covid-induced lockdown in April-May 2020.

“Same problem may arise at the farmers’ protest too,” CJI Bobde said.

The bench, also having Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, told Mehta: “We are trying to ensure that Covid does not spread, ensure guidelines issued are followed.”

The Tablighi Jamaat gathering at the Nizamuddin Markaz had been subjected to a vilification campaign by the government, the BJP ecosystem and sections of the media, with the participants being blamed for the initial spread of the pandemic in India and efforts being made to tarnish the minority community as a whole. The detentions of the participants have not withstood legal scrutiny in courts across the country.

On Thursday, Mehta agreed to the Supreme Court’s concerns and said he would revert after verifying the situation from the authorities concerned.

The bench made the observation while dealing with a PIL by Jammu and Kashmir-based petitioner Supriya Panditya seeking a CBI probe into the circumstances leading to the alleged illegal assembly at the Tablighi Jamaat convention when the entire country was under a lockdown.

The petitioner has questioned the role of the Centre, the Delhi government and Delhi police in risking the health of millions of citizens by allowing the huge congregation that also had many foreign delegates.

The apex court at that time had issued notice to the government in connection with the same PIL. The government had opposed the plea for a CBI probe, saying Delhi police were investigating on a day-to-day basis.

According to the Centre, besides prosecuting the alleged offenders under various IPC sections and for violation of the Passports Act, the government had blacklisted 960 foreigners from future travel to the country.

Advocate Omprakash Parihar, appearing for the petitioner, told the court during the brief hearing that one of the main organisers of the Jamaat, Maulana Saad, was untraceable.

The court adjourned the matter till Monday to enable the Centre to file its response on the Jamaat probe plea and the steps taken to ensure that the protesting farmers observe all Covid protocols.

The bench also posted for hearing on Monday another petition for declaring the provisions of the three new farm laws as unconstitutional, illegal and void.

The petition has been filed by P. Ayyakannu, state president of the National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturist Sangam.