CHANDIGARH: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was to begin a fast unto death to press for farmers’ demands, was taken to a Ludhiana hospital for a checkup on Tuesday after allegedly being forcibly removed from the Khanauri border point. Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher alleged Dallewal was forcibly taken away by police early on Tuesday from the Khanauri border point.
A senior Punjab Police officer said Dallewal was taken to the private Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC) in Ludhiana. Deputy Inspector General of Police Mandeep Singh Sidhu said the administration was concerned about Dallewal’s age and health in the wake of his fast-unto-death call. “Considering his health and seniority, the administration decided that his proper medical checkup was important. We are getting his medical checkup done at DMC, Ludhiana,” said Sidhu.
Dallewal announced on Monday that he would begin a fast unto death on Tuesday to demand a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops. He had also asserted that he was ready to sacrifice his life to get the farmers’ demands accepted. Claiming that the police forcibly removed Dallewal from the spot early on Tuesday before he could begin his hunger strike, Pandher said he strongly condemned the act and demanded his immediate release.
Farmers said a police team of 250 reached the Khanauri border at 2:30 am and forcibly took Dallewal away. Initially, the farmers were not aware of Dallewal’s whereabouts but later learned that he had been taken to DMC. Farmer leader Guramneet Singh Mangat said they were informed that Dallewal had been taken to the hospital on health grounds.
Mangat, however, said they would continue with their fast-unto-death plan. Another farmer leader will now sit on the fast. Meanwhile, Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab of orchestrating Dallewal’s “detention”. “Detention of farmer leader Dallewal ji is orchestrated by the Bhagwant Mann government. No central agency is involved in his arrest. It is purely the work of the state police, aimed at shifting the blame onto central agencies to divert attention from the real issues. The central government always works for the welfare of farmers and does not engage in such tactics,” Bittu said in a post on X.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had earlier announced plans to intensify their agitation in support of farmers’ various demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP, by starting a fast unto death. Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and the Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces.
The protesting farmers have accused the Centre of not taking steps to address their demands, stating that it had not held any talks with them regarding their issues since February 18. Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are demanding 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.