'Engage in peaceful protest, without inconvenience to people,' SC on farmers protest

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Punjab's farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, to persuade the protesting farmers to refrain from obstructing highways and causing inconvenience to people, saying in a democratic setup, one can engage in peaceful protests.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan told a counsel, representing Dallewal, that 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,” the bench told his counsel while clarifying that it is not making any comment on the protest.

“We are not commenting on whether the protest is right or wrong," the bench said.

Supreme Court Emphasizes Peaceful Protests Without Public Disruption

Dallewal is reportedly on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point to press for the acceptance of farmers' demands.

The bench said it has noted the issue raised by the farmers and it is being considered in a pending matter.

"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, while disposing 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.

Just 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.

Last month, a plea was filed in the top court against his alleged illegal detention by the Punjab Police.

Dallewal, a day after he was released, joined the fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point.

Farmers’ Demands Under Review as SC Stresses Democratic Rights

Farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after they were stopped by security forces.

Apart from a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers demanded 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.

On September 2, the Supreme Court  had set up a high-powered panel headed by Justice Nawab Singh, a former Punjab and Haryana High Court's judge, to hold negotiations with the farmers, holding a sit-in at Shambhu border since February 13 over their various demands including legal guarantee for minimum support price for their produce.

Among other members of the committee are P S Sandhu, IPS, former Director General of Police Haryana; Prof Devender Sharma, agriculture expert, and Dr Sukhpal Singh, agricultural economist from Punjab Agriculture University. Professor B R Kambhoj, Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Agriculture University , Hisar has been nominated as special invitee.