The Supreme Court on Saturday gave the Punjab government until December 31 to persuade farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for over a month, to receive medical treatment in a hospital.
In a rare hearing, a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan reprimanded the state for allowing the situation to escalate and failing to follow earlier orders to provide medical assistance to Dallewal.
The Punjab government reported difficulty in addressing the issue, citing significant resistance from protesting farmers who have surrounded Dallewal and prevented his hospitalization. Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the bench that a medical team had visited the protest site to persuade Dallewal to accept treatment.
However, Dallewal rejected all medical aid, including intravenous drips, explaining that doing so would undermine the cause of the movement.
The bench was angered by this refusal and criticized the Punjab government for its lack of action. It accused the farmer leaders preventing Dallewal’s hospitalization of abetting suicide. The court permitted the Punjab government to seek logistical support from the central government if necessary, while urging the state to follow its directive to ensure Dallewal receives medical care.
Expressing concern that Dallewal appeared to be under “peer pressure” from other farmer leaders, the bench questioned whether they truly cared about his well-being or had other motives. “Are they interested in his life or something else?” the bench asked, hoping the Punjab government would take the necessary steps to comply with the court’s directions.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court had expressed alarm over Dallewal’s health and instructed the Punjab government to provide medical assistance. The court also issued a contempt notice to the Punjab chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) for not complying with the previous order to deliver medical aid.
Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast since November 26 at the Khanauri border, demanding that the Centre address farmers’ key demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
The ongoing situation has drawn significant attention to the state’s handling of the protest, with the Supreme Court urging swift action to address both Dallewal’s health and the farmers’ concerns.
