The Punjab government on Friday told the Supreme Court that it has cleared the protesting farmers from the Shambhu and Khanauri borders near Haryana and farmers’ leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was on fast-unto-death, has also broken his fast.
The Advocate General of Punjab Gurminder Singh on Friday informed the bench, comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Nongmeikapam Kotishwar Singh, that the national highway has been cleared and was free for traffic movement.
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The court was also informed that the Punjab government has cleared the protestors first from the site and Haryana government has also cleared the highway and restored the traffic.
The bench was also informed that the protesting farmers leader Dallewal has ended his fast-unto-death, broke his fast and accepted water today morning. “Mr. Dallewal accepted water today and broke fast,” Gurminder Singh said.
Dallewal had started his fast-unto-death in November last year.
Justice Surya Kant observed, “I said it, highways are not supposed to be occupied. National highways are the lifeline of the country.”
The top court also declined to entertain a contempt petition against the Punjab authorities for clearing the protesters in alleged violation of a status quo order passed by the top court. The bench told the contempt petitioner, “We have been asking them to clear the highway, the contempt petition is misconceived.”
The advocate then withdrew the contempt petition..
The bench also dropped the contempt proceedings initiated earlier against the Punjab Chief Secretary and the DGP for not taking steps to hospitalise Dallewal, who was on fast-unto-death then.
It further directed the High-Powered Committee, constituted by it to hold negotiations with the protesting farmers and the governments, to file its supplementary report.
The top court had earlier asked Punjab authorities to swiftly tackle the health situation of Dallewal who was on a fast-unto-death. It had also asked the states of Punjab and Haryana to continue their meetings with the protesting farmers, to persuade them to clear the highway along Shambhu border.
In February 2024, the Haryana government had set up barricades on the Ambala-New Delhi national highway farmers bodies announced that farmers would march to Delhi in support of various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
