SC gives Punjab govt time till December 31 to shift fasting farmer leader Dallewal to hospital

Punjab government criticized for not providing medical assistance to fasting farmer Dallewal, Supreme Court intervenes.

The Supreme Court on Saturday (December 28, 2024) gave the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for over a month, to shift to hospital.

In an unprecedented hearing, a vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia pulled up the Punjab government for allowing the situation to escalate and not complying with its earlier directions to provide medical assistance to Dallewal.

Expressing helplessness, the Punjab government said it is facing huge resistance from protesting farmers who have encircled Dallewal and are preventing him from being taken to hospital.

Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told the bench that a team of experts visited the protest site and tried to persuade Dallewal to shift to hospital and take medical help.

"He (Dallewal) has refused any kind of medical aid, including (IV) drips, saying that it will undermine the cause of movement," he said.

This infuriated the bench which blamed the Punjab government for not doing enough to contain the situation and said the farmer leaders who are not allowing Dallewal to be taken to the hospital are involved in the criminal offence of abetment to suicide.

The top court allowed the Punjab government to seek any kind of logistics support from the Centre if the situation warrants, and hoped that the state government will comply with its direction of shifting Dallewal to hospital.