Denied any relief by the court, traders called another 24-hour bandh tomorrow and the Delhi government, apprehending law and order problems, ordered closure of schools for two days.

Whether the sealing drive will resume tomorrow or later remained unclear tonight. The SC-appointed monitoring committee and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) would decide the timing.

Emerging from a meeting of the Group of Ministers, Union Urban development Minister S Jaipal Reddy said, “the Supreme Court order is paramount and binding... We don’t have an option but to implement it.” Regretting that the government failed to get any relief for the traders, he said the matter will be taken up in the Cabinet.

Earlier, the Supreme Court refused to provide any relief to traders of unauthorised business establishments in residential areas in the Capital and asked the authorities to resume the sealing drive against them. “We find no ground whatsoever to modify our order dated September 29, 2006 (sealing of unauthorised shops),” said a bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, dismissing applications of the Centre, Delhi government and MCD seeking relief for the traders.

Rejecting a plea for deferment of the drive in view of the law and order situation, the bench said: “You cannot say we govern the country, but cannot implement your (court’s) orders because there will be law and order problem. You think that 25,000 people by putting a dagger on the throat of someone can seek such discretionary relief, hold the entire city to ransom... and the government is helpless.”

A law and order situation, the bench said, was bound to arise but it was for the Central government to provide “such force as is necessary to uphold the sanctity of the Constitution.” “No one can be allowed to hold the city to ransom and then ask for such relief.”

“It is the duty of the Government to ensure that there is no breach of law and order.” The bench even went to the extent of comparing the Government’s stand with what was said during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and riots in Mumbai and Gujarat. “Same was the argument (that it was a public reaction) in 1984, in Mumbai and in Gujarat”.

The court slammed the Centre and Delhi government for taking up cudgels on behalf of the traders who had refused to honour its word: “The authorities instead of moving these applications must have asked them to first comply with the orders and then come to the court.”

‘You can’t say we govern country, can’t implement court orders’

Pulling up the Govt, SC said:

• “You cannot say we govern the country, but cannot implement your (court’s) orders because there will be a law and order problem”

• “You think that 25,000 people by putting a dagger on the throat of someone can seek discretionary relief, hold entire city to ransom... and the Govt is helpless”

• On Govt’s public reaction apprehension: “Same argument was used (during riots) in 1984, Mumbai, Gujarat”