New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (December 13), while asking the agitating farmers to to follow the Gandhian way of protests and temporarily suspend it or shift from the highways, expressed its concerns over the deteriorating health condition of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death protest at the Khanauri border for over 17 days.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, while saying that it recommends not to use any force and there should not be any violence, also expressed its concerns on the deteriorating health condition of protesting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal after the bench was informed that he is on fast unto death at the Khanauri border and his condition was deteriorating.
Provide adequate, immediate medical aid to Dallewal without forcing him to break fast: Apex Court
The bench said that it is the bounden duty of the Punjab government and Centre to take all peaceful measures to provide adequate, immediate medical aid to Dallewal without forcing him to break fast and asked the representatives of the Punjab govt and the Centre to immediately meet Dallewal and other farmer leaders to convince them that immediate concern is to provide medical aid to Dallewal.
Committee agreed to persuade protesting farmers to either shift venue and clear the highway or pause protest temporarily
A five-member high-powered committee constituted by the Supreme Court under the retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge to amicably resolve the grievances of the protesting farmers agreed before the top court on Friday to persuade the protesting farmers to either shift venue and clear the highway or pause the protest for a while.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab Advocate general suggested to the court that the high-powered committee constituted by the top court should firstly make efforts to persuade farmers to temporarily shift the venue and clear highways for smooth traffic or to temporarily suspend agitation.
Primary task of committee is to convince farmers to either shift site or pause protest for a while: Apex Court
The bench said that the committee might be in the best place to convince farmers to suspend for a while and the primary task of the committee is to convince the farmers to either shift the site so that highway is unblocked or pause the protest for a while because of the harsh weather and let the committee handle it.
The member secretary of the high-powered committee, who was present in the court, assured the bench that in the very next meeting, it will resolve it as preliminary issue and report will be filed.
“Let the committee persuade the farmers to either shift venue and clear the highway or pause the protest for a while,” the bench said.
Apex Court was hearing a plea filed by Haryana government
The bench was hearing a plea filed by the Haryana government challenging an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the state government to remove barricades at the Shambhu border.
Apex Court on September 2 constituted a five-member high-powered committee
The apex court had on September 2 constituted a five-member high-powered committee to amicably resolve the grievances of the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border under the chairmanship of former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh. The other members of the committee are – retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer BS Sandhu, professor Ranjit Singh Ghuman, Dr Sukhpal Singh, agricultural economist from the Punjab Agriculture University and Mohali resident Devinder Sharma.
