The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is on a fast-unto-death protest at the Khanauri border for over 17 days.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Centre and Punjab government representatives to immediately meet Dallewal and provide him medical help and persuade him to break his fast-unto-death protest saying his life was precious.

The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab and advocate general Gurminder Singh to ensure that no force was used against Dallewal to break his fast-unto-death protest, unless it was imperative to save his life.

"You both look into this issue immediately and ensure that it is resolved," the bench told Mehta and Singh, while advising that Dallewal could be shifted to PGI Chandigarh or nearby Patiala city for urgent medical intervention, if need arises.

It asked the agitating farmers to adopt the Gandhian way of protests and temporarily suspend it or shift from the highways and instructed the high-powered panel constituted by it to meet the farmers.

Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26 to press the Centre into accepting the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops.

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by the security forces.