SC grants time to Punjab govt for compliance of orders to shift farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to hospital

The Supreme Court of India (SC) has on December 31 granted the Punjab government time to comply to orders regarding the shifting of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to hospital.

A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia has deferred its hearing in the case and listed the matter next on January 2. Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death for the past 35 days over various farmer demands, including the legal assurance of minimum support price (MSP), according to a PTI report.

The Hearing

The apex court decision came after Advocate General Gurminder Singh, appearing for the Punjab government, said that an application has been moved seeking three days more time for compliance of the court's December 20 order. He added that a team of negotiators is in talks with farmers at the protest site to make arrangements for Dallewal to be shifted the nearby makeshift hospital on Punjab side of Khanauri border.

The SC bench said it does not want to comment on the discussions with the protesting farmers and it only wants compliance of its earlier orders. It recorded the submissions of Singh and adjourned the hearing on the matter.

Background of The Case

Earlier on December 28, the SC came down heavily on the Punjab government about not shifting Dallewal to a hospital even as it doubted the intention of the agitating farmers for resisting availability of medical aid to their septuagenarian leader.

Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre to accept the farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops, the report added.

The farmers under the banner of 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 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.

(With inputs from PTI)