(File) Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal rests during his hunger strike at the Khanauri Border in Sangrur district | PTI
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing on a contempt plea against Punjab's Chief Secretary to January 2, 2025. The plea sought action over the Punjab government’s alleged failure to comply with earlier orders directing it to hospitalize farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.
Dallewal, a 70-year-old cancer patient, has been on a hunger strike at Khanauri, the Punjab-Haryana border, since November 26. His protest highlights long-standing demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, loan waivers, and agricultural sector reforms.
The Vacation Bench, led by Justice Surya Kant, deferred the hearing after Punjab’s Advocate General (AG) Gurminder Singh requested more time to comply with the December 20 order. This directive required the Punjab government to ensure Dallewal's stable health, even if hospitalization was necessary.
The Supreme Court, in its earlier order, emphasized that it was Punjab’s responsibility to safeguard Dallewal’s health. It stated that if required, Dallewal should either be moved to a makeshift hospital located 700 meters from the protest site or to a well-equipped hospital.
AG Gurminder Singh informed the Bench that a proposal had been submitted to the Union government, suggesting that inviting the protesting farmers for talks might persuade Dallewal to accept medical aid.
Adjourning the case to January 2, the Bench, which also included Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, clarified that its focus was solely on ensuring compliance with judicial orders.
In a special hearing on Saturday, the court had reprimanded the Punjab government for failing to stabilize Dallewal's health. The government had argued that other protesting farmers were obstructing medical aid to Dallewal. Responding to this, the Bench suggested that the Union government might provide logistical support to address the issue.
The court ordered the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) to comply with its directions within two days. It cautioned that failure to do so could lead to contempt of court charges being framed against the officials.
Previously, the Supreme Court had expressed concern over Dallewal’s life and safety. It reminded the Punjab government of its responsibility to comply with directives ensuring his hospitalization. The Bench observed that medical aid must be provided to Dallewal and remarked that Punjab authorities appeared to be neglecting the court’s orders.
The court also stated that protesting farmers could present their grievances directly to the Supreme Court or through an authorized representative. It emphasized that its doors remained open for dialogue.
In September, the Supreme Court had formed a committee to mediate with the protesting farmers and resolve their grievances. The panel, headed by Justice Nawab Singh, a former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, was tasked with negotiating with farmers to remove their tractors and trolleys from the National Highway to ease public inconvenience.
The committee also included former Haryana DGP B.S. Sandhu, agricultural analyst Devender Sharma, Prof. Ranjit Singh Ghuman, agricultural economist Dr. Sukhpal Singh, and Prof. Baldev Raj Kamboj as a special invitee. Additionally, the farmers were granted the liberty to shift their peaceful protests to an alternative site.
Despite the formation of the committee, the farmers had not engaged with the court-appointed panel, prompting the Bench to invite them to present their issues directly before the apex court.
With IANS inputs