Guwahati, Aug. 5 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday urged law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint while dealing with student protests, warning that an aggressive response by the "mighty State" could escalate tensions and trigger further violence.

The observations came while a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India agreed to hear a petition seeking action against the organisers of the July 20 Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest in Delhi. The plea was tagged with other pending cases relating to the recent student demonstrations in the national capital.

Emphasising the importance of a measured approach, the court said that in a democracy, peaceful protests should not be met with excessive force.

"During such peaceful marches...