The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Punjab government to move farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is currently on an indefinite fast, to a makeshift hospital near the Khanauri border where his health can be monitored continuously.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan instructed Punjab’s Advocate General, Gurminder Singh, to submit an undertaking confirming the transfer of the 70-year-old Dallewal to the makeshift facility, which is located near the protest site at the Khanauri border, situated between Punjab and Haryana.
On Thursday, Singh informed the court that Dallewal had cooperated with medical staff and undergone several tests, including an ECG and blood tests. According to Singh, Dallewal’s condition appeared to be stable at that time.
The bench announced that it would revisit the matter at around 2:30 pm, indicating continued concern for Dallewal’s health. Earlier in the proceedings, the bench had pointed to the example of civil rights activist Irom Sharmila, who had continued her protest under medical supervision for over a decade.
The court urged the Punjab government to persuade Dallewal to undergo regular health check-ups, expressing its dissatisfaction with the lack of medical tests conducted on him so far during his fast.
Dallewal, who has been fasting since November 26, is demanding that the Centre accept key farmer demands, including the legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. His protest is part of a broader agitation by farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, who have been stationed at various border points, including Shambhu and Khanauri, since February 13.
The farmers began their protests after being stopped by security forces from marching to Delhi in support of their demands.
The farmers have been camping at the Khanauri and Shambhu borders following the Haryana government’s decision to set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi National Highway, which prevented their march to the capital.
The protests have focused on securing a legal guarantee for MSP and other agricultural reforms.
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