New Delhi, Jan 2: The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Punjab government and said its officials, and some farmer leaders, were making irresponsible statements in the media over attempts to break farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s indefinite fast.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it needed to clarify the court never directed to break Dallewal’s protest and had only expressed concerns over his health and wanted he got urgent medical aid.
“There are people who are making irresponsible statements. We know their intentions. The so-called farmer leaders, who are making irresponsible statements, want to complicate the situation. What is their bonafide towards Dallewal is also something which needs to be looked into,” it said.
The bench told Punjab advocate general Gurminder Singh the issue was turning “more and more sensitive” with passing time. “First of all, explain one thing. There appears to be a deliberate attempt in the entire media and the publications where your state government, your officers are trying to create an impression as if there is a persuasion to Dallewal to break fast-unto-death,” it said.
Singh submitted nobody was forcing Dallewal and it was not the state’s doing, but certain messages were passed on by the farmer leader himself to the media.
“We have seen it in the newspapers. This kind of impression you people are creating. That’s why he (Dallewal) might be reluctant and hesitant,” the bench said, “because, he is a person sitting for a cause on fast-unto-death. The directions, which we have issued do not mean that he should break his fast. Even while he is hospitalised, when his health part is taken care of, he can continue with his peaceful protest. You have to persuade him from this angle.” Singh assured the bench any such attempts would be nipped in the bud and said efforts were on to persuade Dallewal to take medical aid as well as the agitating farmers to join the dialogue with the court-appointed committee.
The bench said if the state failed and a need arose, it would take steps to deal with the situation.
Justice Surya Kant said Dallewal was a precious farmer leader, who, for the time being, not aligned with any ideology, and only took up farmers’ cause.
The advocate general said he was not taking sides and only sought to bring the factual position on the ground to the court’s notice.
“The issue here is we are trying to convince him to accept medical aid as per the court’s directive and we are bound to comply with it. He is of the firm opinion which he has conveyed to our mediators as also to the media by way of his own messages which have been sent. It is not the state’s doing. That, he will definitely accept medical help subject to some intervention,” said Singh.
Justice Surya Kant said he was aware of the situation and said, “Your ministers are going there. Your officials are there. Please don’t force us to say more. Have you ever told them that we have constituted a committee for this very purpose only? It appears that your attitude is such that there should not be any conciliation. That is the whole problem.” Singh denied any attempts to complicate the situation.
The bench said since the chief secretary and the director general of police Punjab were appearing virtually in the matter, the court’s message would “hopefully” go down the line.
It asked both officials to file their affidavits indicating compliance with the order passed on December 20, 2024 in which the court directed the Punjab government to move Dallewal to the nearby medical facilities.
The apex court posted the hearing on January 6.
The top court had come down heavily on the Punjab government for not moving Dallewal to a hospital even as it doubted the intention of the agitating farmers for resisting availability of medical aid to their septuagenarian leader. (PTI)
