New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Thursday reprimanded the Punjab government in the case of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. The Supreme Court has said that government officials and some farmer leaders are spreading the false impression in the media that efforts are being made to end the fast of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal. In the court, the bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan has said that it clarifies that the court never directed Dallewal to end his fast. The court said that it is only concerned about his health and wants him to be given health care as soon as possible.
During the hearing, Justice Surya Kant said that the court does not want to say much but it seems that Punjab government officials and some farmer leaders are making irresponsible statements in the media to further complicate the situation at the ground level. “We need to assess the goodwill of some farmer leaders towards Dallewal,” the bench said. The bench said that since the Chief Secretary of Punjab and the Director General of Police are appearing in this case through digital medium, it is expected that the message of the court will reach the lower level. The court asked both the officers to file an affidavit stating to what extent its order of December 20 has been complied with. In this order, the court had directed the Punjab government to transfer Dallewal to the nearest health center.
Meanwhile, Advocate General of Punjab Gurminder Singh has denied any attempt to complicate the situation. He has said that efforts are being made to convince Dallewal to seek medical help without ending his fast. The Supreme Court has fixed January 6 for the next hearing of the case. The court has also issued a notice to the Center on a new petition filed by Dallewal. Dallewal’s petition has requested to direct the Central Government to fulfill various promises made to the protesting farmers in 2021 after the repeal of the agricultural laws, including the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP).
