The Supreme Court on Saturday came down heavily on the Punjab government for not shifting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for over a month, to a hospital even as it doubted the intention of the agitating farmers for resisting availability of medical aid to their septuagenarian leader.

In an unprecedented hearing, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sudhanshu Dhulia, however, gave the Punjab government time till December 31 to persuade Dallewal to shift to a hospital, giving it the liberty to seek logistical support from the Centre, if the situation warrants. Expressing helplessness, the Punjab government said it is facing huge resistance from the protesting farmers who have encircled Dallewal and are preventing him from being taken to a hospital.