Supreme Court slams farmer leaders over Jagjit Dallewal's worsening health: ‘Not his well-wishers…’

The Supreme Court of India (SC) on Saturday, December 28, slammed farmer leaders over the worsening health condition of fellow leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. Justice Surya Kant, according to reports, criticized the authorities for failing to shift Dallewal to the hospital due to his deteriorating health condition.

The prominent farmers' leader has been on a fast-unto-death since November 26. “Please communicate to them that those who are resisting Dallewal’s hospitalisation are not his well-wishers,” Justice Kant told the Punjab Chief Secretary.

The SC is hearing a contempt petition against the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Punjab for non-compliance with the December 20 apex court order regarding medical aid to farmers’ leader Dallewal and to convince him to go to hospital.

Time Till December 31 to Comply

According to a PTI report, the apex court also fined the Punjab state government for not complying with earlier directions to provide Dallewal with medical aid.

The Punjab government representative expressed helplessness in being able to shift Dallewal to the hospital, saying that they are facing resistance from protesting farmers.

The SC has asked the Punjab government to seek logistical assistance from the Centre to shift Dallewal to the hospital, “if ground situation warrants”, the report added.

Further, the apex court has given Punjab until December 31 to persuade Dallewal to move to a hospital.

The apex court directed the state government to file a compliance report by December 28, ahead of its hearing of the matter today and ordered the Punjab chief secretary and the DGP to remain present during the hearing virtually.

Background of Farmers' Protest

Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

On December 20, the apex court left it to the Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on Dallewal's hospitalisation and directed that the 70-year-old be moved to the makeshift hospital set up within 700 metres of the protest site at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 this year after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.

The Haryana government set up the barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway in February after it was announced that the farmers would march to Delhi to support their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for their produce.

(With inputs from PTI)