Contempt plea on Dallewal’s health in top court today

Amid reports about the deteriorating health condition of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the Supreme Court will on Monday take up a petition seeking contempt of court against Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav for their “failure” to implement its order on shifting him to a hospital.

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Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press for the acceptance of farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee for the minimum support price for crops. The matter is listed before a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh for hearing on January 6. It’s also likely to take up another petition filed by Dallewal’s friend Guninder Kaur Gill seeking implementation of the commitments made to farmers by the Centre.

As Dallewal continued to refuse medical help, the top court had on January 2 taken strong exception to a “deliberate attempt” to create an impression that it wanted him to break his fast.

“There is a deliberate attempt in the media by your state government officers to give an impression that the court is pressuring him to break the fast. Our direction was not to break his fast. We only said that let his health be taken care of and he can continue his peaceful protest even when he is hospitalised. You have to persuade him from this angle,” it had told Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh.

“Shifting (him) to the hospital does not mean he will not continue his fast. There are medical facilities which will ensure that no harm is caused to his life. That is our only concern,” Justice Kant had said.