NEW DELHI, Dec 28: The Supreme Court on Saturday granted the Punjab government until December 31 to convince farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike for over a month, to move to a hospital.
In an extraordinary hearing, a vacation bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan admonished the Punjab government for allowing the situation to deteriorate and for failing to follow previous instructions to provide medical assistance to Dallewal.
The Punjab government expressed its inability to act due to significant resistance from protesting farmers who have surrounded Dallewal and are obstructing his transfer to medical care.
Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh informed the bench that a team of experts had visited the protest site in an effort to persuade Dallewal to accept hospital treatment.
“He (Dallewal) has rejected all forms of medical aid, including IV drips, claiming that it would compromise the integrity of the movement,” he stated.
This statement angered the bench, which held the Punjab government accountable for its inadequate response to the situation, noting that the farmer leaders preventing Dallewal’s hospitalization may be committing a criminal act of abetment to suicide.
The Supreme Court allowed the Punjab government to seek logistical support from the Centre, if necessary, and expressed hope that the state would adhere to its directive to transfer Dallewal to a hospital.
The bench indicated that Dallewal is under some form of “peer pressure” and questioned the intentions of those farmer leaders who are preventing his hospitalization, suggesting they may not have his best interests at heart.
“Do they care about his life or other motives? We will refrain from further statements and urge the Punjab government to comply with our directives,” the bench remarked.
On Friday, the Supreme Court voiced concern over Dallewal’s health and ordered the Punjab government to ensure he receives medical attention.
A notice was issued to the Punjab government regarding a contempt petition against its chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) for their failure to comply with the order to provide medical assistance to Dallewal.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26, demanding that the Centre address farmers’ issues, including a legal guarantee for minimum support prices on crops. (PTI)
