On Monday, the Apex Court 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 & cause inconvenience to people.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant & 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 & 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 & 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 suggested that Dallewal could urge the protesters to organize peaceful demonstrations within the legal framework, without causing inconvenience to the public.

The bench clarified that, at this stage, it was not considering Dallewal's petition but left the door open for him to approach the court later.

Before commencing his fast-unto-death on November 26, Dallewal was reportedly forcibly removed from the Khanauri border and taken to a hospital in Ludhiana, where he was discharged on Friday evening.

The petition challenging his alleged illegal detention by the Punjab Police was filed in the Supreme Court on November 29.

On November 30, a day after his release, Dallewal resumed his fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point to press for the acceptance of the farmers' demands.

Farmers have been protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after their march to Delhi was blocked by security forces. They accuse the Centre of failing to address their demands and claim that no talks have taken place since February 18.

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