Farmers Demonstration: Supreme Court Grants Extended Time for Punjab Government to Hospitalize Dallewal
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New Delhi, Dec 31 (NationPress) The Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed the hearing until January 2 on a contempt petition that seeks action against the Chief Secretary of Punjab for not adhering to its previous directives, which mandated the Punjab government to ensure the hospitalization of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
The 70-year-old, who is battling cancer, has been on a hunger strike at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana, since November 26, advocating for their longstanding demands, which include a legal guarantee for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, loan waivers, and improvements in the agricultural sector.
A Vacation Bench led by Justice Surya Kant decided to postpone the hearing after Punjab's Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh requested additional time to comply with the court's December 20 ruling, which ordered the Punjab government to ensure Dallewal's health remains stable, as he is on a fast unto death.
“It is entirely the responsibility of the State of Punjab to ensure the stable health condition of Mr Jagjit Singh Dallewal, and if he requires hospitalization, the authorities must ensure it happens. The State Government must decide whether Mr Dallewal can be transferred to a temporary hospital (which is reportedly 700 meters away from the protest site) or to another well-equipped facility,” the Supreme Court had instructed.
AG Gurminder Singh informed the Justice Kant-led Bench that a proposal has been presented to the Union government, indicating that if the protesting farmers are invited for discussions, Dallewal will likely accept medical assistance.
Postponing the hearing to January 2, 2025, the Bench, which also included Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, stated that it was solely focused on the compliance of its judicial orders.
In a special session on Saturday, the Supreme Court reprimanded the Punjab government for its inability to ensure Dallewal's stable health condition.
After the Punjab government claimed that other protesting farmers were hindering medical assistance to Dallewal, the Justice Kant-led Bench suggested that it could instruct the Union government to provide logistical support.
The apex court directed the Punjab Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) to comply with its orders within two days and scheduled the matter for a hearing on December 31.
The court warned that if its directives are not followed, it will contemplate framing charges of contempt of court against the officials during the next hearing.
Previously, the Supreme Court had issued a notice regarding a plea seeking contempt action against the Chief Secretary of Punjab for failing to follow the apex court's orders.
It stated, “Medical assistance must be provided (to Dallewal), and there is an impression that you (Punjab authorities) are not obeying our orders.”
Expressing grave concern over Dallewal's life and well-being, it had instructed the Punjab government to comply with its directive to hospitalize him.
Earlier, the Justice Kant-led Bench stated that protesting farmers were welcome to present their grievances directly to the Supreme Court after it was revealed that the farmer leaders had not participated in the meeting with the court-appointed panel.
It remarked that the court's doors are always open, allowing farmers to voice their demands either directly or through authorized representatives.
In September, the Supreme Court mandated the formation of a committee to amicably address the grievances of farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border. It proposed a panel led by Justice Nawab Singh, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to negotiate with the protesting farmers regarding the removal of their tractors and trolleys from the National Highway to ease public access.
Additionally, the apex court allowed farmers the freedom to relocate their peaceful protests to an alternate site. The panel includes Justice Nawab Singh, former Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, agricultural analyst Devender Sharma, Professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman, agricultural economist Dr. Sukhpal Singh, and Professor Baldev Raj Kamboj as a special invitee.
