Dallewal can protest peacefully, but Punjab farmers should not block highways: SC

Top court calls for peaceful protests and not cause inconvenience to people

PTI

New Delhi, Updated At : 01:20 PM Dec 02, 2024 IST

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point to press for the acceptance of farmers' demands, to persuade the protesting farmers not to obstruct highways and cause inconvenience to people.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan disposed of a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of Dallewal, who was removed from the Khanauri protest site on the Punjab-Haryana border on November 26.

"We have seen that he has been released and he even persuaded a fellow protestor to end his fast-unto-death protest on Saturday," the bench said, adding that the issue raised by the farmers has been noted by the court and is considered in a pending matter.

"In a democratic setup, you can engage in peaceful protests but do not cause inconvenience to people. You all know that the Khanauri border is a lifeline for Punjab. We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong," the bench told advocate Guninder Kaur Gill, appearing on behalf of Dallewal.

Justice Kant said that Dallewal could persuade the protestors to organise peaceful protests under the law and without causing any inconvenience to people.

The bench said that at this stage, it was not entertaining Dallewal's petition but he could approach later.

Hours before beginning his fast-unto-death on November 26, Dallewal was allegedly forcibly removed from the Khanauri border and taken to a hospital in Ludhiana. He was discharged on Friday evening.

The plea was moved in the apex court on November 29 challenging his alleged illegal detention by the Punjab Police.

On November 30, a day after he was released, Dallewal joined the fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point to press for the acceptance of the farmers' demands.

Farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.

The protesters have accused the Centre of not taking steps to address their demands, claiming that it has not held any talks with them on their issues since February 18.

Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.