The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Punjab government to ensure medical aid is being provided to ailing farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the Centre to fulfil farmers’ demands. The apex court will next hear the case on Saturday.
Hearing a contempt petition on the issue of providing treatment to the farmer leader, a vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia directed the Punjab government to ensure compliance and file an affidavit on Saturday. The Court directed the state government to take all measures to provide medical aid to the protesting farmer leader, who is also a cancer patient.
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"If there is a law and order situation, you have to deal with it with iron hands. Somebody's life is at stake. You need to take it seriously. Medical aid has to be given and the impression is that you are not following it," the bench said.
Dallewal, 70, a cancer patient, has been on an indefinite fast at the Khanauri border seeking the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. The Supreme Court, during an earlier hearing, expressed concern over Dallewal’s health and directed the state government and Centre to take measures to persuade the leader to give up the hunger strike. Following the Court’s directions, Punjab police chief Gaurav Yadav and a Union home ministry official met Dallewal at the protest site and heard his concerns.