Supreme Court praises Jagjit Singh Dallewal as ‘genuine farmer leader without any political agenda’
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh dropped contempt proceedings against the Punjab chief secretary and DGP
The Supreme Court on Friday praised farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal as a “genuine farmer leader without any political agenda,” while the Punjab government submitted that he had broken his months long hunger strike emphasising various demands.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh dropped contempt proceedings against the Punjab chief secretary and Director General of Police for not complying with its order of providing medical aid to Dallewal.
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‘We know everything’
The court was informed by the Punjab government that protesting farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu borders have been disbursed, and all roads and highways have been opened for traffic.
The bench asked the Punjab and Haryana government to file a status report on the ground situation and said, “We know some people did not want settlement of grievances of farmers. We are not sitting in an ivory tower. We know everything.”
Farmers, under the banners of Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, were camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
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On March 19, several farmer leaders, including Sarwan Singh Pandher and Dallewal, were detained in Mohali while returning from a meeting with a central delegation. Punjab Police took the opportunity to comply with the court order and evicted farmers from Shambhu and Khanauri protest sites.
‘Our movement will continue,’ says farmer leader
Farmer leader of Kisan Mazdoor Sanghrash Committee-Punjab, Sarvan Singh Pandher, who was released from the Mukhtsar Sahib jail on Friday criticised the AAP government in Punjab and demanded compensation for the damages suffered during their protests.
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Pandher said, “I have been released from Muktsar Sahib Jail today. AAP and Bhagwant Mann had been saying that the farmers' protest was against the Union government. But today, the question arises: what was the Punjab govt's compulsion to take action against farmers? The losses we suffered due to damage to our tents and tractors etc should be compensated by the government. Our movement will continue.”
Farmer leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said they would not attend the meeting on Friday called by Punjab agriculture minister, Gurmeet Singh Khuddian. “We will hold a protest on 28th (March) against this at district headquarters,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
