Supreme Court Slams Punjab Govt For Misleading Statements On Dallewal’s Fast

The Supreme Court of India on Thursday reprimanded the Punjab government for creating a false impression in the media regarding the attempts to break farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan clarified that the court has never directed the termination of Dallewal’s protest, but is concerned solely with his health and the need for urgent medical attention.

Justice Surya Kant emphasized that the court’s primary concern was to ensure that Dallewal receives medical aid while continuing his fast, and he expressed frustration over what appeared to be irresponsible statements by Punjab government officials and some farmer leaders, which seemed to exacerbate the situation.

Bench Remarks

“We need to check the bona fide of some farmer leaders towards Dallewal,” the Bench remarked, signaling concerns about the motivations behind certain public statements.

Punjab’s Advocate General, Gurminder Singh, denied any attempts to escalate the issue, stating that the government is focused on persuading Dallewal to seek medical assistance without ending his fast.

In response to these developments, the Bench noted that both the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab were attending the hearing virtually and hoped that the court’s message would be relayed down the administrative chain.

The court also directed these officials to file affidavits confirming compliance with its December 20 order, which instructed the Punjab government to ensure Dallewal’s transfer to the nearest state medical facility.

The court scheduled the next hearing for January 6, 2025, to review the situation.

Additionally, the Court issued a notice to the Centre in response to a fresh petition filed on behalf of Dallewal. The petition sought to compel the Union government to fulfill promises made to protesting farmers in 2021, including a legal guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops, after the repeal of the controversial farm laws.

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