The Supreme Court will hear a contempt plea on Monday regarding the alleged non-compliance with its orders concerning farmer leader Dallewal. Earlier, the court criticized the Punjab government and some farmer leaders for making irresponsible media statements about efforts to end Dallewal’s indefinite hunger strike.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear a contempt petition on Monday against the Punjab chief secretary and director general of police for not following an order to provide medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an uncertain hunger strike.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh will look into the matter.
The court previously criticized the Punjab government, stating that its officials and some farmer leaders were making “irresponsible statements in the media” regarding attempts to end Dallewal’s uncertain fast.
The court expressed strong concern over the Punjab government’s failure to move Dallewal to a hospital, questioning the intentions of the protesting farmers for resisting medical help for their 70-year-old leader.
On December 20, the Supreme Court placed the responsibility on Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on his hospitalization. The court mentioned that Dallewal, 70, could be taken to the makeshift hospital set up within 700 meters of the protest site at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana.
Dallewal has been fasting at the Khanauri protest site since November 26 to urge the Centre to accept the farmers’ demands, which include a legal guarantee for minimum support prices for crops.
Dallewal’s hunger strike, which commenced on November 26, is part of a broader movement demanding the legalization of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and other agricultural reforms. Farmers, under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border since February, causing significant disruptions to public movement and economic activities.
The Farmers’ Protest in India, which began in late 2020, was a massive movement by farmers opposing three agricultural laws introduced by the government. Farmers believed these laws favoured large corporations, posed a threat to their livelihoods, and undermined the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system.
The protest witnessed significant participation, especially from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, with farmers organising sit-ins at Delhi’s borders for over a year. Despite facing hardships like extreme weather and political resistance, the protest became a symbol of determination and solidarity, eventually leading to the repeal of the contentious laws in November 2021.
Case Title
GUNINDER KAUR GILL (NEXT FRIEND OF JAGJIT SINGH DALLEWAL) Versus UNION OF INDIA